Twelve final-year students of the Government Dental College (GDC), Hyderabad, have been suspended for six months pending a police inquiry following allegations of ragging and harassment of first-year BDS students staying at the Osmania Medical College hostel.

According to GDC Hyderabad Principal Sarjeev Singh Yadav, the first-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students, who joined the institution a few months ago, had been subjected to repeated harassment by senior students. The juniors, who are accommodated in the Osmania Medical College hostel alongside MBBS and postgraduate medical students, submitted a written complaint on June 11 detailing the alleged incidents.

Dr. Singh said first-year students complained that the seniors routinely ordered them to bring alcohol, cigarettes, food items and pick up Swiggy deliveries, besides making them perform various tasks. They also allegedly threatened the juniors with consequences, including preventing them from attending classes, if they refused to comply.

The issue escalated on the night of June 8 when interns and postgraduate students intervened and asked the final-year students to stop harassing the juniors. This reportedly led to an altercation, with the seniors objecting to the intervention and insisting that the matter concerned only them and the first-year students.

Following the written complaint, the college’s anti-ragging committee and hostel wardens initiated an inquiry. Parents of the students were also called for a meeting earlier this week and informed about the developments.

“As per UGC regulations, we have suspended the 12 final-year students for six months pending police inquiry. Depending on the report we receive from the police, further action will be taken,” Dr. Singh said, adding that the institution follows a zero tolerance policy towards ragging.