Seven held for ragging in Mangaluru

MANGALURU: The Mangaluru City police have arrested seven college students on charges of ragging their juniors in two separate incidents. City Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar told reporters on Friday that nine first-year BBA students of a private college in Balmatta were allegedly ragged by three students of the second year. 

The victims were residing in a rented house at Simon Lane near Pumpwell. On Thursday, the seniors barged into their house and allegedly threatened the nine students to shave off their beards and moustaches. When they returned after doing so, they were further ordered to tonsure their heads by 5 pm the next day. 

The victims were also reportedly abused and made to prepare tea for their seniors, who allegedly warned them against roaming around and talking to girls in their college. Based on a complaint by one of the victims, a case was registered at the Kankanady Town Police station following which, the three accused — II B.Com student Mohammed Adil (20) from Kannur, II BBA (Aviation Logistics) student Rijin Riyas (20) from Kozhikode, and II B.Sc (Aviation Travels) student Mohammed Nizamuddin BP (20) from Kannur — were booked under IPC Sections 448 (house-trespass), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 34; and Section 116 of the Karnataka Education Act. They were subsequently arrested. 

In the second case, four engineering students from a private college in Surathkal police station limits were arrested after a first-year student complained that he was ragged by them on February 26. His seniors allegedly imposed certain restrictions on him, while he was also abused and ill-treated. The dean had referred the case to the college’s anti-ragging committee, and the students were suspended and a case was registered on Wednesday against the students, identified as K U Shamil (22), Mohammed Bazil (22), Ashwin Johnson (21), and Sambhram Alva (20). Meanwhile, Shamil, Sambhram and Mohammed were also booked for assaulting a chemistry lecturer of the college, following an argument over this incident.