CHENNAI: Madras Medical College (MMC) has constituted a high-level inquiry committee to probe the allegations of severe ragging involving a fourth-year MBBS student, even as six students have been suspended in connection with the incident, college administration said on Saturday.

The victim, who is a 2021-batch student, was allegedly subjected to prolonged physical and mental harassment by a group of senior students on December 14. According to the complaint, he was reportedly forced to kneel for an entire day and was subjected to degrading treatment, following which he went missing from the college campus.

Traumatised by the incident, he reportedly approached his father, expressing his unwillingness to continue his medical education. Acting on the father's complaint, the college administration placed six students — Devamoorthy, Surya, Sethupathi, Harihara Sudhan, Hiyam Sundhan and Aadhan Donald — under suspension; one of them was apparently the sports secretary of the institution.

The student's father has also lodged a formal complaint with the Greater Chennai Police Commissionerate, seeking criminal action against the students. A complaint was also submitted to the National Medical Commission, which then formed a committee to probe into the allegations and examine whether anti-ragging norms were violated.

College authorities said the suspensions were imposed with immediate effect. “We have a zero-tolerance approach towards ragging. Strict action will be taken based on the findings of the committee," a senior faculty member told DT Next.