The Assam cabinet on Tuesday ticked off the Dibrugarh University administration over its handling of the ragging case in which a first-semester MCom student had jumped off the second floor of his hostel on Sunday morning to “save himself” from his tormentors.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed the cabinet’s displeasure over the ragging case which was first reported in September.

A cabinet meeting was held for the first time in Silchar, the district headquarters of Cachar in Barak Valley.

The condition of the 22-year-old student, Anand Sharma, admitted to a private hospital in Dibrugarh, is stable but has suffered serious injuries to his spinal cord, rib cage and wrist, an official told The Telegraph.

The chief minister said: “We (the cabinet) have expressed our dissatisfaction with the way Dibrugarh University has dealt with such a serious offence. We will not tolerate ragging in any college or university. There will be zero tolerance.

“I had asked the Dibrugarh SP around 1.30am that day to arrest the students involved in the case. Those on the run will also be arrested and if there is any complicity with the authority we will not spare them also… will bring them under probe.” Sarma went on to add, “ … There are definitely lapses on part of the DU authorities… The education minister is keeping tabs and we will take action. ”

Till now police have arrested three students while on the lookout for the four students, including a former student, who have been named in the two FIRs, filed by the mother and the DU administration.

The FIRs name Rahul Chetry (a former DU student leader) and four third-semester students — Dibyajyoti Gogoi, Subhrajit Baruah, Niranjan Thakur and Kalyan Dutta. The police on Monday arrested Pranjit Baruah, Simanta Hazarika and Niranjon Thakur who has been named in the FIRs and is hopeful of arresting the other four named in the FIRs soon. The arrested were remanded in judicial custody on Monday evening.

Dibrugarh University vice-chancellor Jiten Hazarika had told this newspaper that 22 students had been expelled from their respective hostels and barred from attending classes till further notice for their alleged involvement in the ragging.

The university has also barred the entry of four students named in the FIRs — Gogoi, Baruah, Thakur and Dutta — to the university along with their suspension from classes and academic privileges until the magisterial and institutional inquiries were completed.

Sources said the role of the warden of the Padmanath Gohain Baruah Chatra Niwas hostel has come under the scanner because the issue was “reported to him by Anand”, and how could former student Rahul Chetry “stay in the hostel”.

A DU official said to “wait till tomorrow” when asked if the varsity has taken any more steps in the ragging case.

The DU FIR has stated that Sharma was “mentally and physically assaulted” by those named in the FIRs and that he jumped off the second floor of his hostel to “save himself from the extreme mental and physical torture” inflicted by the five students named in the FIR.

The magisterial inquiry ordered by the district administration will look into all aspects of the incident, including the role of the varsity in tackling the case.

The police have registered a case under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 341 (wrongful restraint), 395 (dacoity), 307 (attempt to murder) and 143 (unlawful assembly). Besides expressing his displeasure over the ragging incident, chief minister Sarma on Monday said the Dibrugarh deputy commissioner has been instructed to provide all possible help to the student for his recovery.

“If the parents want to shift him (for better treatment)… I have asked the education minister to facilitate everything,” he said.

Another incident of ragging came to light from Dibrugarh. The Assam Medical College and Hospital, located in Dibrugarh, expelled two post-graduate students from their hostel and also barred them from attending classes for six months for allegedly ragging a junior.

The order was passed on November 21 soon after the junior complained to the authorities.