KOCHI: The High Court has settled a ragging case against five engineering students on the condition that they do social service at the Kollam District Hospital for two weeks. The order was passed by Justice K Haripal while considering the petition seeking quashing of the case against engineering students MS Harikrishnan, M Sahal Mohammad, Abhishek Anantharaman, Nabhan Anees and PP Ashwin Manohar. All the five accused are students of TKM Engineering College, Kollam. The Kollam Kilikollur police had registered a case against the accused on November 28 last year alleging that they had ragged and brutally beaten two junior students. The accused also produced an affidavit filed by the complainant junior students stating that they had no objection to the quashing of the case. However, the public prosecutor asked the court to direct the accused to do social service under the supervision of the District Legal Services Authority in view of the seriousness of the allegations. Subsequently, the High Court settled the case and ordered the accused to do compulsory social service.

All the five accused should appear before the Kollam District Legal Services Authority Secretary on March 21. The Secretary shall direct appropriate service.