Bhubaneswar, Nov. 28: Police have issued notices to 12 students of the forestry department of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) accused of ragging juniors.

A group of first-year students, who had allegedly been ragged by their seniors, filed a criminal case against them.

"The accused have been asked to appear before the investigating officer at Khandagiri police station within seven days," said police commissioner R.P. Sharma.

The university today formally issued notices of rustication to the five students. Earlier in the day, the five accused offered their explanations before the disciplinary committee. However, the authorities stuck to their decision of rusticating the students for one year.

"The students will not be allowed to pursue any courses under the varsity for one year. On completion of one year, they will be allowed to take re-admission and continue with their courses," said OUAT vice-chancellor Manoranjan Kar. A central disciplinary committee, headed by the vice-chancellor, took the decision to expel them yesterday. The formal notices were issued to the students today.

"The students have also been asked to vacate the hostels and pay fines. They have also been warned that if there were any disturbance or law and order problems on the campus in future, they would be the first to be suspected. The action has been taken against the students following the guidelines laid out by University Grants Commission," said Kar.

The ragging incident was reported from the College of Forestry earlier this week. The first-year students of the college had brought allegations against 15 seniors staying at the hostel. The students had on Tuesday surrounded the dean's office demanding action against the accused.

They alleged that despite several complaints to the hostel superintendent, the authorities as well as the anti-ragging committee took no action. A formal FIR was also lodged at Khandagiri police station.

The boarders of Pathani Samanta Hostel of the university alleged that they were being ragged and tortured by the seniors since their admission. However, matters turned worse on the night of November 19 when the seniors brutally assaulted the juniors and seriously injured some of them.

The victims were then locked up inside the hostel, so that they could not lodge complain to the authorities.

Yesterday, parents of both sets of students met each other over talks of a compromise. However, the victims' parents did not agree and demanded action against the senior students.