Police have started a case under a non-bailable section against three students of Liluah's MCKV Institute of Engineering on Tuesday in connection with Monday night's assault on Subham Sekhar, a second-year student, allegedly by some seniors.

The accused students have been booked under IPC sections 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 341 (wrongfully restraining any person). The offence under section 326 is non-bailable.

If the trio are convicted under section 326, they could be jailed for life. The punishment under section 341 is a month's imprisonment and fine.

"We have started a case based on a student's complaint. Other IPC sections will be added after the family members of the victim lodge a complaint," said Howrah police commissioner D.P. Singh.

The police have not identified the students against whom the case has been started.

Subham's brother Rahul has alleged that he was stabbed by seniors during a clash between two groups of students after the classes gave over on Monday.

Subham, who hails from Bihar's Gaya district, has been admitted to Rabindranath Tagore Institute of Cardiac Sciences.

The authorities of MCKV Institute on Tuesday suspended four students - one each from third and fourth years and two from second year - in connection with the alleged stabbing. They have been asked to vacate their hostels.

It was not clear yet whether the four included the three against whom the police case had been started.

The college management has asked the parents of the four suspended students, all of whom are from outside Bengal, to meet principal Asok Kumar "immediately".

Classes at the college have been suspended till Thursday.

Kumar said the authorities were still not sure whether the allegation of stabbing was true or not. "We don't know whether Subham had been stabbed," Kumar said.

A group of students, he said, lodged a complaint on Tuesday morning naming some students who they said had created trouble on Monday evening. The complaints have also demanded that the accused be expelled.

A statement signed by the principal and issued by the college read: "This is with reference to the unfortunate incident of violence which took place yesterday where one of the students of our institute, MCKV Institute of Engineering (MCKVIE), Shubham Shekhar, got injured at a public place. We condemn such unruly behaviour of the students which is nothing but a clash between two groups and has nothing to do with ragging....

"We have taken immediate action against the students... who have been alleged to have injured Shubham, by suspending them and ordering them to vacate their hostel rooms, till the investigations are on. We have also intimated the guardians of these students to come and meet the undersigned immediately...."

Rahul has alleged that his brother was attacked after he lodged a complaint against some seniors who had ragged him. Kumar had denied the ragging complaint on Monday.