Mangaluru: Two first-year students were allegedly assaulted by a group of second-year students near a tea stall at Gujjarakere in Mangaluru, in what police suspect is a case of ragging. Five students have been arrested, while one more accused is yet to be identified.City police commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy CH said preliminary investigations revealed that the assault was triggered by an attempt by senior students to enforce a dress code on juniors. The accused allegedly objected to the victims wearing shoes and attacked them for not following their directions.The victims, a BBA student and a hospital management student, are undergoing treatment at a hospital. Police said all those involved, both the accused and the victims, are natives of Kerala.Based on the victims’ statements, police arrested five second-year logistics diploma students. While the accused claimed only five people were involved in the incident, the victims alleged that six seniors participated in the assault.Initially, police registered a case of assault as the victims had sustained injuries. Following further investigation, provisions of the anti-ragging law were also invoked.
