7 students arrested for ragging 2 freshers

Seven engineering students of a private college were arrested for ragging two of their juniors by making them dance, sing and clean their house opposite their college on Hosur Road in Mangamanpalya on August 17 night.

The arrested are Ajay Tom, Amal A, Amal Benny, Mohammed Fadal, Najeef, Mohammed Najik and Sahir. They were yet to clear some papers and were staying close to the college, the police said.

According to the police, two freshers Adarsha and Vishal had joined the D Pharm course 10 days ago at the Oxford Educational Institution in Bommanahalli and were staying at the hostel. Around 8.30 pm on August 17, hostel warden Gurumurthy T M found the two students missing and assumed they had gone to their friends’ house.

Adarsh and Vishal returned to the hostel around 3 am and informed the warden that their seniors had called them over to their house and had ragged them. They said Ajay Tom had warned the duo against speaking about the incident to anyone and let them off in the wee hours.

Based on a complaint from the two, the warden informed the college principal and then approached the Bommanahalli police. The police arrested the seven students, produced before a magistrate and remanded them in judicial custody.

“The seven were booked under section 116 of the Karnataka Education Act 1983 — penalty for ragging and under several IPC sections including abduction, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation,” said a senior police officer.

However, when the hostel authorities were approached, the management distanced itself from the incident stating the incident did not occur
at the college premises but at a house in Mangammanpalaya.

“It is true that the victims were freshers and were staying at the college hostel, but the incident happened at the accused persons’ house outside the college and the institution has no role or control over it,” said Gurumurthy.