4 students held, debarred from campus in BJB College ragging case in Odisha Capital

Bhubaneswar: The four students including three minors, who were held by police today for their alleged involvement in a ragging case in BJB Autonomous College in the State Capital, have been debarred from entering the campus.

The accused, who are Plus II second year students, had allegedly beaten up a junior from the first year over his interaction with a girl on Wednesday, a video of which had gone viral on social media. Sources said the victim was regularly catching up with a girl which was not doing down well with the accused seniors. They had apparently warned him to stay away from the girl but the boy did not pay heed, prompting them to react and  beat him up. Following the incident, the victim student’s friend had filed a police complaint.

Basing on the complaint, police had started investigation and arrested the four accused on Thursday. While the three minors were sent to Juvenile Justice Board, the other was produced in court.

Meanwhile, a notice from the office of the college principal was put up stating that all four have been suspended from the school campus until further orders, for their misconduct and unruly behaviour.

Police however ruled out ragging in the incident. Addressing mediapersons, Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh shared that the attack on the Plus II first year student by his seniors was not an act of ragging. It was a personal attack over the boy’s alleged interaction with a girl which the accused were opposing. Police is keeping an eye on all colleges to keep ragging in check. If any such incident takes place in any college campus, students are requested to reach out and file a complaint at the nearest police station,” the DCP said.