Kolkata: A first-year engineering diploma student of a private university in Salt Lake has alleged that he was ragged, assaulted, burnt with cigarettes and threatened with death by a group of senior BCA students if he didn’t pay them Rs 1 lakh.Based on the youth’s complaint lodged at the Electronic Complex Police Station, police have arrested one of the FIR-named youths and are searching for two others.According to the complaint, the student from Bokaro in Jharkhand — who is currently staying alone in Salt Lake for his studies — alleged that the incident took place on April 16 on the college campus.“These students have been harassing me for almost a year. They have been making caste-centric remarks and have regularly assaulted me, Because of this I had to drop out of college for a year. I returned and was on my way back home after appearing for an exam when the group of second-year BCA students intercepted me near Gate 6 of the campus. They assaulted me with a belt and inflicted burns on my right bicep with cigarettes,” the student told TOI.The complainant further alleged that the group threatened to kill him if he did not pay them Rs 1 lakh. He claimed that he was forcibly taken to a ground, where he was again assaulted and made to record a video under duress, purportedly admitting to arranging for the money.The youth also said the accused snatched his cellphone, accessed his bank account and transferred Rs 430. Later, he was reportedly again assaulted by 8 to 10 youths.Police said the student had identified at least three of his attackers and mentioned their names in the complaint. Cops have started a probe and one of the FIR-named accused was arrested. “We are looking for two others who are currently on the run,” an officer said. TOI tried to contact officials at the institute but there was no response from the authorities on the incident till late on Sunday.
