A CORRESPONDENT
DIBRUGARH: The prime accused in the Dibrugarh University ragging case Rahul Chetry has surrendered before the police on Monday, officials said. He surrendered at Lekhapani police station in Tinsukia district. The accused was absconding since the incident of ragging surfaced wherein Anand Sharma, a student of M.Com 1st semester had to jump from a two-storey building of the hostel at the varsity campus to save himself from "extreme mental and physical torture".
Sharma, who sustained severe injuries, had to undergo surgery. He is currently being treated at the hospital. Speaking to mediapersons at the hospital, Anand Sharma claimed that Rahul Chetry was the main culprit behind the ragging incident. He said: "Rahul started ragging by hitting me once I returned to the hostel from the library that day."
Meanwhile, Chetry before surrendering, wrote a letter in which he claimed to be innocent. "I regret the incident that took place at Dibrugarh University on November 24 and wish for quick recovery of my brother Anand Sharma. I am in no way connected to the ragging incident. My name has been dragged into the incident. I am extremely shocked," he wrote in the letter.
"Being a law student, I respect the law of the country and will continue doing so. I was forced to go into hiding following the incident that caused immense sensation in the entire incident. I felt I will be attacked by the people after my name was dragged into the case. I have been made the main villain in the entire incident and few even portrayed as an ULFA-I cadre. I, in fact, seek justice for Anand Sharma. Let the law takes its legal course and provide justice to the victim," he added. Chetry was later presented at a court in Dibrugarh. He was brought to the Dibrugarh police station at around 9am. He was interrogated at the police station by top police officials, including DIG (North-East range) Jitmol Doley. Chetry was later produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate by Dibrugarh Police. The Court granted five days police custody of Rahul Chetry.
Dibrugarh SP Shwetank Mishra said, "Rahul Chetry was hiding in Arunachal Pradesh. We were continuously in touch with his family members and acquaintances to pressurize him to surrender. From our sources we came to know that he will surrender today. Our police team was already there in Tinsukia. He was brought to Dibrugarh after he surrendered." He has been sent to five-day police custody.
Meanwhile, Anand Sharma's mother and two sisters have demanded strict punishment for Rahul Chetry. Reacting to Rahul Chetry's surrender, Manisha Sharma, the elder sister of Anand Sharma said, "When I told my brother about Rahul Chetry's surrender in the morning, he told me that it was Rahul Chetry who tortured him the most. He told me that he tried to strangle my brother and also kicked him on his private parts, apart from inflicting other physical torture. Due to the strangulation, my brother is facing difficulty in swallowing food. He is now being fed with tubes." With Rahul Chetry's arrest, the total number of arrests in the Dibrugarh University ragging case has risen to seven.
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