Two students of NRS Medical College and Hospital charged with the murder of Kurban Shah surrendered before a city court on Wednesday and were sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

The duo - Niraj Kumar and Roushan Kumar - along with another student Kalyan Banerjee, were declared absconding in the chargesheet submitted by police last month.

Kurban, 28, who family members said was mentally troubled, had been found unconscious and tied to a pillar on the third floor of the male students' hostel of NRS in November.

The post-mortem had revealed that Kurban had been subjected to repeated torture till he died. He had 18 injures, including a fractured pelvic bone and a ruptured spleen.

Niraj, a fourth-year student of MBBS, and Roushan, who studies in the third year, have been charged with murder and common intention while Kalyan has been charged with attempted tampering of evidence.

Arrest warrants had been issued against the trio after they were declared absconding.

Niraj and Roushan appeared in Sealdah court on Wednesday morning to surrender and seek bail. Their bail petition was, however, turned down and they were sent to judicial custody till April 8.

Senior lawyers said had the duo not surrendered, they would have been declared proclaimed offenders. "If someone remains absconding even after an arrest warrant is issued, police can request the court to issue a proclamation notice against him/her. If the accused fails to turn up within a stipulated time, he might be declared a proclaimed offender," said a lawyer.

Once an accused is declared a proclaimed offender, he or she becomes eligible for punishment of three to seven years, even if he is acquitted in the main case in which he/she was originally charged, the lawyer added.

Nine persons, including six MBBS students, an intern and two canteen workers, had been arrested in the case till the submission of the chargesheet on February 10.