Cuttack/Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court on Friday quashed criminal proceedings against several law students in Bhubaneswar accused of ragging, and directed them to volunteer at an orphanage for a week.
As per reports, Bharatpur police in Bhubaneswar registered a case on March 15, 2024, on the basis of a complaint by the father of a first year student of a city-based institute that some senior students harassed his son and threatened him with dire consequences. The students named in the complaint were booked under sections 294, 341, 323, 324, 506, 34 of the IPC.
Subsequently, the students moved High Court seeking quashing of the criminal proceedings. While hearing the petition, the Court observed that the matter has already been settled amicably and a deed compromise was also made on November 12, 2024, wherein both the parties agreed to maintain peace and friendship with each other in future and never create any sort of disturbances, directly or indirectly.
The government counsel submitted before the court that the petitioners and the victim are students and the incident was a fallout of misunderstanding and sudden provocation. "The petitioners repent on their mischievous conduct and apologised to the father of the victim and also filed an affidavit in this regard before the Court. The allegations are minor in nature and there is no legal impediment for quashing of the FIR," the counsel said.
Teach Children In Orphanage For A Week
Citing all the developments, Justice Sibo Sankar Mishra quashed the criminal case against the accused law students, but at the same time directed them to volunteer at an orphanage of their choice for one week. "The concerned law students will involve in teaching or conducting any workshop for the children studying in the orphanage," the HC order mentioned.
Further, the court said, "The law students shall choose the orphanage and inform about the present order to the head of the orphanage and get a certification from the head of the orphanage after completion of their one week teaching or workshop. They will then furnish the certification of the orphanage head before the High Court within four weeks."
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