A police chargesheet has named two nursing students of the NRS Medical College and Hospital for killing 16 puppies on the campus in January.

Moutusi Mondal, 21, a first-year student BSc (nursing), and Soma Burman, 21, her senior by a year, had earlier been arrested and released on bail.

“We have submitted the chargesheet. During investigation, we took into account all evidences, including circumstantial ones, and concluded that the two were responsible for the act,” said a senior officer of Entally police station. “We have backed our claims with statements from guards. Videos of the killing were widely circulated and we traced their origin before arriving at a conclusion.”

Moutusi and Soma have been charged with “mischief by killing or maiming cattle of any value or any animal of the value of fifty rupees” and tampering with evidence under sections 429 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code, sources said. If convicted, the two could be jailed for up to five years.

Moutusi hails from Bankura and Soma from Kakdwip in South 24-Parganas.

The police have concluded that the act of killing the puppies was planned and some students and staff nurses were in favour of it. Some hospital employees and students had allegedly lured the puppies with biscuits and shut all the exit gates. Moutusi and Soma then killed the puppies over an hour, the police said. The cops had seized a stick that was allegedly used to beat the puppies to death.

A 28-second video clip showing the alleged killings was widely circulated on social media and the hospital set up a three-member committee to probe the incident.

The hospital committee questioned around 55 nursing students and staff nurses. The two students were arrested on January 15 after a preliminary probe found them responsible for the deaths. They were later released on bail and allowed to attend classes.

“We will now wait for the trial to begin,” the officer said.