3 students of Bengaluru college arrested, notices sent to 19 others over ragging, assault of juniors and staff

According to the complaint, senior students of the college had been harassing juniors for nearly two days, forcing them to bring cigarettes and beverages, and subjecting them to other forms of intimidation.

Despite repeated warnings from the college authorities, the ragging continued, the complaint said. On January 15, around 5 pm, two junior students were assaulted after they refused to comply with the seniors’ demands. Later that evening, when the complainant and a few others went to confront the seniors near a tea stall behind the college on Baichapur Road, the situation escalated.

The police said the accused students and the outsider turned violent, vandalised a car, and assaulted the complainant and others using iron rods, sticks and stones, and snatched a gold chain from them. The accused are also said to have threatened the juniors.

Several people sustained injuries during the incident, the police said, adding that the victims are minors.

The incident was reportedly captured on CCTV cameras installed nearby. The police have seized the video footage and are verifying it. “Further action, including arrests, will be taken based on the evidence and video verification,” the office said.

The FIR has been registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 115(2) (offence of voluntarily causing hurt), 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 119(1) (voluntarily causing hurt to extort from the victim, 324(4) (mischief), 324(5) (voluntarily causing hurt using dangerous weapons by a group), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 190 (holding every member of an unlawful assembly liable for offences committed in furtherance of a common object), besides relevant sections of the Karnataka Education Act, 1983.