Tensions flared once again at the South Eastern University over a fresh incident of ragging leading to a violent clash on campus early yesterday (15).
The unrest erupted when a group of senior students allegedly assaulted four first-year students from the Faculty of Engineering, reportedly in retaliation for the juniors’ earlier publicly exposing ragging practices. The injured students were admitted to the Oluvil and Akkaraipattu hospitals along with an ambulance driver, who was also attacked by the seniors while attempting to transport the victims.
According to university sources, the latest incident follows a long-running dispute, stemming from a ragging incident in the second week of June, for which 20 students were suspended after a university-appointed inquiry confirmed their involvement.
The clash was reportedly triggered by the circulation of video footage showing senior third-year students at the Boysville 2 hostel engaging in ragging. The videos, which surfaced on media platforms, show a group of first-year students being subjected to various forms of harassment. Following the public release of the footage and a complaint to the university administration, tensions escalated further.
Yesterday’s confrontation is believed to have been sparked by this exposé, with a group of seniors allegedly attacking the whistleblowers in the early hours of the morning. The incident marks yet another chapter in the university’s troubled history with ragging, despite repeated warnings and administrative actions taken to discourage it, university sources said.
Twelve students involved in the June assault remain in remand custody, according to the Akkaraipattu Police. Meanwhile, the university administration held an emergency meeting yesterday to discuss the unfolding situation.
The incident comes against the backdrop of a recent Supreme Court ruling, delivered on 09 July, stemming from a fundamental rights petition filed by Pasindu Hirushan — a student from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura who sustained brain injuries in a 2020 ragging incident. In its ruling, the Supreme Court declared ragging illegal under Sri Lankan law and instructed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to enforce the anti-ragging framework across all higher education institutions.
The court also observed that despite internal mechanisms being in place at many universities to prevent ragging, those systems have failed to operate effectively.
By Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon and A.J.A. Abeynayake
