A purported ragging incident at a renowned private college in Mangaluru has raised alarm after a first-year student suffered a severe neck injury from a group of senior students. Police have detained six students for questioning and an investigation is going on.
According to police, the incident happened near Gujjarakere in Mangaluru, where two first-year students Adarsh and J. Khadar were confronted by senior students.
The senior students had objected to the juniors wearing black shoes, resulting in a heated argument which quickly turned into physical violence.
The victims said they were physically assaulted by senior students during the fight. One of the first-year students suffered a serious neck injury and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. Medical officials diagnosed him with a neck fracture and he remains under treatment.
Personnel from the Pandeshwara Police Station arrived at the scene when they received information. Officers went to the hospital later and took the statement of the injured student and gathered preliminary evidence of the alleged assault.
Based on the complaint, police have registered a case and invoked provisions under the anti-ragging law in the First Information Report (FIR). Six students have been taken into custody for questioning while investigators work to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.
Mangaluru City Police Commissioner C.H. Sudheer Kumar Reddy said the incident prima facie appears to be a case of ragging. The victims’ statements are being recorded and a detailed investigation is ongoing, he said.
The statements of the victims are being recorded by the police. Based on the preliminary findings, an FIR has been registered and a detailed investigation will determine the sequence of events and the role of each individual involved.
The police said further legal action will depend on the outcome of the ongoing investigation. It is likely that there were violations of institutional anti-ragging policies and criminal offences as well, they said.
The incident has once again brought ragging problems in higher education institutions in Karnataka into focus. There are well-established anti-ragging committees, awareness programs and regulations, but incidents still occur.
Karnataka received 181 ragging complaints in colleges and higher education institutes from 2022 to July 22, 2026 (based on official data), which is the highest among South Indian states. The figures have raised questions about whether preventive measures are working and that campuses should be closely monitored.
Education experts have repeatedly stressed that schools need to adopt zero-tolerance policies on ragging, encourage students to report incidents without fear and offer counselling support to victims.
Students who are found guilty of ragging might also face criminal charges, suspension, expulsion and other disciplinary measures under existing laws, the local authorities said.
When the investigation is complete, police will question more witnesses and weigh the evidence, and then decide if there are more charges to be filed. It’s one more case that reminds us to keep the whole educational environment for students free from harassment.
