Hyderabad: A freshman was allegedly stripped, beaten and photographed by his seniors at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) in Kukatpally on Tuesday night. The victim, M. Raghavendra, a native of Wanaparthy, lodged a complaint against two senior students for the alleged ragging.

Kukatpally police has booked a case against A. Nirbhay and Sai Surya Teja, second year Civil Engineering students, under sections of the IPC for causing hurt and under sections of the Prohibition of Ragging Act.

Students, mostly first-year, turned out in large numbers at a protest rally on the JNTU campus demanding instant punishment for the culprits. The students alleged that many of their seniors had been showing their “high-handedness” since the day the college started and now it has turned into physical violence.

College panel did not act, says ragged victim
Raghavendra said in his complaint that senior students came to his room at night and took him to their room where they removed his shirt. “When I resisted they beat me with a chappal and hands,” the student said.

After the incident, Raghavendra approached the Anti-Ragging Committee in the college. When the committee took no action, he went to the police. JNTU said that an internal inquiry has been started and the suspects would be suspended from college.

KPHB inspector Ch. Kushalkar said the police has started a probe. Other first year students who live in the hostel said that ragging has been going on at night. “They will take us to another room in the hostel and make us do funny things,” a first year student, who did not want to be named, said.