The Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur on Monday suspended 22 students for ragging their juniors. Sixteen of them were suspended for three years and the other six for a year each, the Hindustan Times reported.

The decision was made at a meeting of the IIT-Kanpur Senate on Monday night based on a complaint filed by around 30 first-year students in August. They claimed that the seniors had beaten and abused them and also forced them “to do inhuman acts”.

The complaint, registered with the dean of student affairs, was forwarded to IIT-Kanpur’s anti-ragging cell, which recommended suspending the accused students. The senate decided against filing police complaints so their career prospects would not be affected.

The institute’s Deputy Director Dr Manindra Agarwal said 16 students were suspended for three years because the charges against them were “extremely serious”. “These [22] students will not be allowed to stay on campus and can resume studies when their suspension ends,” he told The Times of India. “The decision made today will send a strong message to students to say no to ragging and maintain decorum.”

The suspended students will not be allowed to appeal against the decision during the suspension period.