LUCKNOW - Two students of a government-run polytechnic institute in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur district Thursday alleged physical abuse and ragging by their seniors.

Vimal Singh and Surendra Prasad - both first year students of a diploma course in pharmacy from the Naurangabad-Rajapur Polytechnic in Lakhimpur, around 100 km from Lucknow, alleged that their seniors forced them to dance without clothes and beat them up when they protested.

“They (senior students) don’t rag us on the campus, but come to our private hostel rooms, where they physically abuse us and make us perform like a male stripper,” Singh told reporters in Lakhimpur, showing the injury marks on his arms.

“After barging into our room, the seniors also force us to smoke and drink liquor. They also pressurise us to do obscene dances,” he added.

In their complaint, the two students have alleged that their seniors forcibly take money from them and even use their mobile phones, clothes and other items.

“To days ago, three of my seniors forcibly took Rs.1,000 from my wallet kept inside the cupboard. When I protested, they started kicking me and threatened me of dire consequences if I told anybody about the incident,” said Prasad.

Officials at the institute have assured strict action against the culprits.

“I would only like to say that stern action would be taken against the senior students involved in the ragging,” the polytechnic’s principal Surendra Prasad told reporters.