Berhampur: A day after a video of alleged molestation and ragging of a Plus-II first year girl of the state-run Binayak Acharya College here in presence of students went viral on social media platforms, a decision has been taken to rusticate 12 of the youths seen in clipping, officials said Thursday. The incident drew flak from all walks of life and people termed it as the most shameful in the history of Silk City. Bada Bazaar police have arrested five youths involved in the ragging of the girl. A meeting was held in the premises of the college Thursday in which Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M, Bada Bazaar IIC Prashant Bhupati and principal Pramila Khadanga were present.
A decision was taken to rusticate all the 12 students seen in the video, the SP said. It was also decided that an anti-ragging committee will be formed which will probe whether other students are involved in the incident. The SP also informed that senior women police officers will counsel the survivor while district police will take care of her security and studies. Among the five arrested, two are minors. Three of the accused were identified as Abhishek Nahak, 22, Sridhar Nahak, 19 and Aditya Kumar Sahu, 20. They were produced in court and remanded to judicial custody. The two minors were produced before a juvenile justice board and sent to a probation home.
Further investigations are on and if anyone else is found involved in the dastardly act, he or she will be arrested, Saravana informed. It should be stated that one of the accused, Abhishek is a habitual offender. He was arrested in March this year for molesting another girl of the college, police said, but had been out on bail. In the video Abhishek can be seen ordering the girl and a boy to behave like a couple. He is heard hurling abuses after the girl refuses to do so. Another boy is seen kissing the girl on her hand while others are seen tugging her hair. Abhishek is also seen physically preventing the girl from leaving the room when she tries to.