First-year students of Muzaffarpur Institute of Technology (MIT) staying at a private hostel here were allegedly ragged on Sunday night.

The incident came days after police lodged an FIR against 10 students of the institute for ragging a junior at the institution.

Around 253 students took admission to the MIT last month. Sources said the students of the new batch are staying at private hostels around the institute. At Daudpur Kothi area, residents said senior students of the MIT barged into the private hostels on Sunday night.

Although an FIR was not lodged, a group of MIT teachers and residents of the area on Monday complained to the Barhampura station house officer (SHO), Sunil Kumar.

Daudpur Kothi resident Hemant Kumar Sinha said: “Senior students barged into the private hostels in Daudpur Kothi near the MIT and ragged the freshers.”

The institute administration reconstituted its anti-ragging cell in September. Twelve teachers and hostel wardens were inducted into the cell. The members were directed to intensify visits to the hostels, library, laboratory and canteen to curb ragging on the campus.

The district administration has also cracked the whip and ordered a magisterial probe into the alleged ragging of a first-year information technology student, Raj Aryan.

District magistrate Anupam Kumar said: “I have ordered a magisterial probe by an additional district magistrate-rank officer, Bhanu Pratap Singh, to curb ragging on the campus and note down the names of senior students behind it to ensure punitive action is taken against them.”

Additional district magistrate Bhanu Pratap Singh on Monday spoke to MIT principal Kumar Surendra and the institute registrar, A.K. Singh, to collect information on the senior students accused of ragging Raj Aryan. The first-year student left the institute on September 5 because of physical and mental torture.

SHO Sunil Kumar has also requested Raj Aryan and his father, Ajit Prasad, to record their statements before the additional district magistrate.

Singh would also look into the complaints of the residents of Daudpur Kothi about senior MIT students allegedly ragging the newcomers on Sunday night. He said: “I would not be able to disclose anything because the matter is under investigation.”

Kumar Surendra, the MIT principal, said: “The senior students have now shifted their focus to the private hostels around the institute where many students of the new batch have taken accommodation. I have brought the issue to the notice of the district magistrate and senior superintendent of police.”

Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police Saurav Kumar said Special Task Force personnel have been directed to conduct surprise raids on private hostels to apprehend senior students of the engineering institute involved in ragging the newcomers.

Harass repeat

Fresh ground

Private hostels around Muzaffarpur Institute of Technology campus

Reasons for shift

Reconstitution of anti-ragging cell by institute administration to crack down on seniors ragging newcomers

FIR against 10 students who tortured Raj Aryan

Order for magisterial probe into ragging cases on campus

New case

Residents of Daudpur Kothi complain to Barhampura SHO of senior students barging into private hostel on Sunday night to harass juniors