Crl. R.P. No. 3304 of 2007 is filed by the State challenging the discharge of accused Nos.7 and 8 in

S.C. No.79/2007 on the file of the Sessions Court, Kottayam for an offence under Section 7 and punishable under Section 4 of the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998 (the Ragging Act for short). Crl. R.P. Nos. 3800 of 2007 and 1052 of 2008 have been filed by accused Nos.7 and 8 respectively challenging the order passed by the Sessions Court below refusing to discharge them for the offences under the Indian Penal Code.

THE PROSECUTION CASE

2. Thecase of the prosecution can be summarized as follows:

On 21-10-2005 at 4 p.m. at Gandhinagar in Arpookara Village of Kottayam District, accused Nos. 1 to 6 (Ranjith Varghese, Sherin, Shafeek Yousuf @ Shafeek, Ashly Varghese, Robin Paul and Divin Philipn Perumal @ Divin) all of whom are 3rd year nursing students in the School of Medical Education at Gandhinagar, in furtherance of their common intention to rag and ravish Supimol (Charge Witness No.2) who was a first year nursing student of the said institution situated on the northern side of the Gandhinagar–Panampalam Road, behaved in a disorderly and improper manner towards the