Bhubaneswar, Nov. 24: A group of junior students from the forestry department of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) gheraoed the dean today demanding stringent action against some seniors, who had allegedly ragged them.

The situation was brought under control after police reached the campus and pacified the agitated students.

Around 15 first year students, who are boarders in the university hostel, alleged they had been ragged and tortured by their seniors inside the hostel for several days.

The seniors had prepared a list of rules and directed the juniors to carry them out, failing which they were beaten up.

"We were told to walk with our heads down and have dinner after 11pm. If any of these diktats were flouted, they slapped us," said a student.

Things turned ugly on November 19 when a group of senior students in an inebriated state started beating up the juniors. While most of them were left injured, two students were injured in their eyes. "They kept torturing us from 11pm to 2am. We called up the hostel superintendent to inform about the incident, but he just asked us to take it easy," said another student.

The seniors, who later realised the seriousness of the injuries, took the students to a doctor and purchased medicines but apparently kept the students locked inside a room so that they would not be able to go out and complain.