The authorities of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Silchar on Tuesday took disciplinary action against at least 20 students for their alleged involvement in thrashing a junior in Assam’s NIT Silchar.

As per the order, Dean Students Welfare of the institute stated that following the approval of the competent authority they have place five students under academic suspension for the current semester and debarred them from hostel for that period while another five are debarred from the hostel for the current semester and one more for a period of one month with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, nine other students involved in the assault case will be issued warning letters, the order added.

The order further stated, “The above mentioned students are debarred from training and placement (T&P) coordinatorship, Gymkhana membership and all other management roles in institutional activities during their remaining period of stay at NIT-Silchar.”

Notably on March 31, a junior student of NIT Silchar was physically assaulted by some senior students of the institute. Reportedly, a fourth-semester engineering student, Siddhant Paitya, was rushed to Silchar Medical College and Hospitals (SMCH) in critical condition. He lodged a first information report (FIR) against 18 seniors at Ghungoor Police Outpost with the help of his family members.

Paitya said that a section of seniors had bullied him on the basis of his mother tongue and the area he comes from. On the night of March 28, he stayed at the NIT campus and parked his car in front of Hostel-6. The seniors damaged the car just to bully him, he said.

His mother said there are severe cuts and injuries on his body. "It was a horrifying incident. The authorities should look into this carefully before something bigger happens," the student's mother said.