Varanasi, July 30 : Setting an example for other colleges and students
over ragging issue, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) fined its 10
students and handed over them to the police for allegedly ragging
junior students.

Police have filed a criminal case against the alleged students who have been arrested.

Eight of them are second year students of Bachelors of Technology (B. Tech) and the other two are third year students.

According
to a university official, a college security staff member in civil
dress chased the alleged students who took the freshers away from the
campus to the Assi Ghat for ragging.

The students, however, claimed innocence and said they were only going for sightseeing with the juniors on their request.

"We
only know this much that we are innocent. We were playing cricket with
our juniors for the past three-four days. We were introduced to them in
our department and we have mingled with them," said Digvijay Singh, one
of the accused students.

Meanwhile, college authorities that
claimed to be in possession of video and other proofs of ragging,
handed over the students to police at the Lanka Station.

Fine has already been imposed Rs. 50,000 on the students by university

"The
university has taken strong steps. Each student has been slapped with a
fine of Rs. 50,000. They have been suspended from the hostel for one
semester and from their class for 15 days. If they are unable to pay
the fine in due time, they will be suspended from the class as well.
The accused have been handed over to police under the UGC (University
Grants Commission) guidelines," said Arjun Singh Rathaur, Proctor BHU.

The arrests have come about a month after BHU set up a ragging prevention committee to maintain zero-ragging campus.

Officials
said that the university would strictly follow the Supreme Court''s
rules to prevent ragging in educational institutions.

According to the rule, students found guilty of ragging will be suspended and in some cased could be jailed. (ANI)