Keonjhar: At least five students of a state-run engineering college here were detained by the police Wednesday on the charge of assaulting a junior student during ragging, police said.
They were also suspended from the institute for a year following the incident which took place at the Government Engineering College in Keonjhar Tuesday night.
The senior students allegedly barged into the room of the junior student and physically assaulted him with a stick and an iron rod, the police said based on the complaint lodged at the Town police station.
The junior student, identified as Biswajeet Behera, is undergoing treatment at the district headquarters hospital with injuries on his back, hands and legs.
He was taken to the hospital by the hostel warden.
Several students claimed it could be a revenge attack by senior students as he had earlier complained to the principal about an incident of ragging in the college.
Biswajeet’s father B K Behera said he was worried about the safety and security of his son.
He lodged a complaint with the Town police station, following which a case was registered against the five senior students.
“At around 2:45 am, my son called me over the phone after which we went to the hospital. Later, I filed a complaint with the police. Our children are not safe in hostels,” Behera said.
The principal of the college, Saroj Kumar Sarangi, who visited the hospital and enquired about the victim’s health, said he convened a meeting of the anti-ragging cell to discuss the situation.
PTI
