Raja Vijayaraghavan V., J.:— This application for pre-arrest bail has been preferred by the accused Nos. 1 to 10 in Crime No. 300 of 2017 of Valancheri Police Station. The aforesaid Crime has been registered alleging offence punishable under Section 143, 147, 341 and 323 read with Section 149 of the IPC and under Sections and 3 and 4 of the Prohibition of Ragging Act. The petitioners herein are the second year Degree students of the Safa College at Valancheri.
2. The prosecution allegation is on 13.10.2017 the petitioners wrongly restrained the junior students of the said college and assaulted them. It is the specific case of the prosecution that the petitioners have committed the grossly reprehensible act of ragging of the junior students and have caused hurt to them in the process.
3. The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that the petitioners are innocent and they have been falsely implicated. According to the learned counsel, the petitioners are students and there is no reason to detain them in custody for such acts.
4. Heard the learned Public Prosecutor and have perused the Case Diary.
5. The Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998 was enacted with a view to put an end to ragging in educational institutions in the State. This was to stem the grossly abhorrent trend in campuses to subject junior students to physical and psychological harm. In Numerous cases ragging has had calamitous consequences and have even resulted in the junior students suffering grave physical harm or even death. These practices cannot be entertained in any campus and if a lenient view is taken, it may undermine the reasons for enacting the legislation itself.
6. Having given my thoughtful consideration to the facts and circumstances and the nature of allegations, I am of the considered view that the petitioners are not entitled to the relief of pre arrest bail.
7. At this stage, the learned counsel prays that an opportunity be granted to the petitioners to surrender before the investigating officer and to co-operate with the investigation. If the petitioners are so advised, they may surrender before the investigating officer, within ten days from today. If they so surrender, they shall be interrogated and shall be produced before the court having jurisdiction on the same day itself. If an application for bail is preferred, the same shall be considered and orders shall be passed expeditiously and on its merits.
8. This application is dismissed.
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