The accused stormed into the 19-year-old Dalit's room on the night of December 24. (Representational)
Highlights
- The five students verbally abused and slapped the 19-year-old student
- The accused from north India, were drinking on Christmas eve: Police
- They took him to the building terrace and continued to abuse him
Five senior students of a medical college in Bengaluru's Rajajinagar have been arrested for allegedly ragging a Dalit freshman on Christmas Eve. They were sent to judicial custody on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim at the local police station.
According to the complaint, the five final-year students entered the 19-year-old's room at the college hostel on the night of December 24. They verbally abused him, after which one of the accused slapped him. They then took him to the terrace of the building, where they continued to abuse him late into the night.
Police said the accused, hailing from north India, were drunk.
The accused have been charged under various sections of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and the Karnataka Education Act-1983. Some of these are non-bailable sections.
According to the Karnataka Education Act-1983, a person found guilty of ragging a junior student can be punished with imprisonment of up to a year. It also specifies that such offenders will be arrested on non-bailable warrants.
Last month, four medical students were expelled from a Shimla college for allegedly ragging a first-year student hours before a freshers' party.