According to an official, the authorities of a state-run college in Odisha's Ganjam district decided to expel 12 students who were accused of ragging a female student from the institute.
According to a police officer, five students were arrested for allegedly participating in the ragging incident, including two teenagers (Plus II) and three adults (Plus III, second-year) students.
Binayak Acharya College in Berhampur, Odisha decided on Thursday, November 17, to expel 12 students involved in ragging a female student on Saturday from the institution, according to an official. "We have identified the students involved in the ragging through the video which went viral on social media. All of them will be expelled from the college by giving compulsory transfer certificates (TC)", said Pramila Khadanga, College Principal, stated a PTI report.
The principal stated that Plus II (second year) students who filled out their forms for annual examinations and were involved in ragging would not be allowed to take the exam. "We will write to the council of higher secondary education about the incident," she said. Khadanga also said that the decision to expel the 12 students from the college was taken by the disciplinary committee and anti-ragging cell which met on Thursday, as reported by PTI. She added that the process of expulsion had already begun.
A group of students were seen harassing a junior girl student in a video that went viral on social media. On Wednesday, November 16, the victim filed an FIR (First Information Report) at the Bada Bazar police station. Meanwhile, Berhampur Superintendent of Police Saraban Vivek M discussed with the college principal the institute's anti-ragging mechanism under Supreme Court guidelines.
The police also sought the identification of the students involved in the incident, as well as their admission and other formalities. According to the SP, three of the five arrested students are over the age of 18. "We are verifying others who have been involved in the incident," said the SP, adding that this is not just a case of ragging, but amounts to sexual harassment of the victim. The accused will be charged under sections of the POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012) and the IT Act, in addition to the ragging provisions, according to the SP.
The SP also stated that students, teachers, and parents can call the toll-free number 112 to report ragging in any institution.
If the institutional anti-ragging cell is not responding properly, they can also report to the nearest police station, he added.