Athul Mohan sustained severe injuries on his legs, doctors said.

A first-year student of a technology institute in Kerala's Idukki has been hospitalised, allegedly after a brutal attack by his seniors. He has sustained severe injuries on his legs, doctors said. A case of ragging has been filed against five second year students following a complaint.

"I was beaten up for almost three hours," 23-year-old Athul Mohan told NDTV.

Recalling the ordeal, he said on Wednesday, he had been forced by some seniors to go out of the campus of DC School of Management and Technology.

"They asked me to hold a rod and a cellphone in one hand. Then they whacked me with sticks on that hand, threatening that neither the phone, nor the rod should fall," he said. When the phone fell, the beating started in earnest.

New students of the college alleged that ragging is a regular occurrence in the campus. Many said they are too frightened to leave the hostel, because of the ragging.

"Three senior students have been suspended and an enquiry committee has been constituted with a deadline of September 15," a college administration source told NDTV. "A complaint has also been filed with the police," the source said.

Mr Mohan, who joined the college on June 22, said to escape ragging, he had lied to the seniors. "I told them that I get the fits. They somehow got to know that was a lie, and they beat me up severely on Wednesday evening," he added.

When NDTV called up the Principal Dr Shankar Rajeev, he said, "The student has withdrawn his complaint, admitting it was an error of judgement on his part".

Mr Mohan denied this. The police confirmed that the complaint stands.

"We have paid money to study, not to be ragged. We have complained to the anti-ragging cell. We are being pressured to withdraw the complaint, but we won't do so," another student said.