Six persons have been identified, and one arrested, after shocking videos - showing students being assaulted at Andhra Pradesh's Sri Subbaraya and Narayana College - went viral online.
The students - juniors - were attacked by their seniors in the name of 'ragging'.
The videos show six young men being thrashed, one after the other, by four others carrying lathis. The assault takes place inside what seems to a hostel room; each victim is brought in, ordered to lie face down on a mattress and then pummelled by his four attackers.
At least two of the victims seem to be seriously injured. They had reportedly been lured to the room on the pretext of NCC, or National Cadet Corps, training.
Police say the incident took place in February but the videos have only now been circulated online; the victims had chosen not to file complaints due to fear of retaliation.
Krishna Reddy, Police Inspector (One Town Police Station) has urged others, at this college or any others, who may have been assaulted or otherwise abused, as 'ragging' to report the incident.
The students seen beating their juniors have since graduated.
The one arrested and the others face a case under the Prohibition of Ragging Act.
The horrific incident has taken a predictable political twist, with the opposition YSR Congress Party of former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy attacking the ruling Telugu Desam Party.
The YSRCP shared one of the videos on X (formerly Twitter). "This is the law and order situation in our state," the party said, tagging Home Minister Anitha Vangalpudi.
The Home Minister hit back swiftly, pointing out the incident had taken place when the YSRCP was in power; the TDP formed the government in June, after winning the Assembly election).
"It would be better if YSRCP refrained from spreading lies and blaming atrocities that happened under the YSRCP government on the current government," she said, adding the accused would also face charges under the SC/ST Act.
"We are bringing derailed law-and-order (situation in the state) back to normal," she also said, "YSRCP people often make false accusations... strict action will be taken against the guilty."
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