Howrah police on Wednesday said Subham Sekhar, a second-year student in Liluah's MCKV Institute of Engineering, was stabbed on three parts of his body.

The 20-year-old was admitted to hospital on Monday with multiple wounds, which his brother Rahul said were marks of stabbing. The police were initially not sure whether the allegation of ragging was true or not.

"He (Subham) was stabbed in three places," said Swati Bhangalia, assistant commissioner of police, Howrah commissionerate. Police sources said Subham, from Gaya in Bihar, was stabbed on his back, hip and rear part of his right thigh.

Rahul has alleged that his brother was attacked after he had lodged a complaint with the college authorities against some seniors who are said to have ragged him.

The police on Tuesday started a case against three students of the college in connection with the alleged assault. All three - from Bihar and Jharkhand - are missing. the police said.

"We are sending teams to Bihar and Jharkhand in search of the accused. We are also speaking to their friends to know their whereabouts," an officer of Belur police station said.

The three students against whom the police case has been started are among the four - one each from the third and fourth years and two from the second year - the college suspended on Tuesday.

Abducted & rescued

A senior BPO executive was waylaid and kidnapped by eight youths, allegedly led by a business rival, from Salt Lake's EN block, near College More in Sector V, early on Wednesday.

Anuroop Sinha, 29, was rescued from near Hatiara, 10km from Sector V, after his mother had lodged a police complaint.

Anuroop, a Baguiati resident, said a white Swift Dzire swerved left and slammed its brakes hard in front of his Hyundai Verna.

The youth, a managing director of the Airnet Technologies Pvt Ltd, was dragged out of his car and beaten up on the road before being hauled back into the vehicle. One of the alleged assaulters started driving the car.

"The eight, led by my former business partner Prateek Jain, were hitting me and drinking in the car," Anuroop said. Sources said Anuroop and Prateek had recently parted ways over financial disputes.

Anuroop's mother had told the police that Prateek had asked his son's partner to go to Hatiara with Rs 2 lakh. A team from Baguiati police station was sent to the address given by Prateek and rescued Anuroop and arrested his abductors.