Ragging is a criminal offence as per the Supreme Court verdict. Ragging is an offence under penal code and under section 116 of the Karnataka Education Act, 1983 (Karnataka Act No.1 of 1995), which define ragging as:

"Causing, inducing, compelling or forcing a student, whether by way of practical joke or otherwise, to do any act which detracts from human dignity or violates his/her person or exposes him/her to ridicule from doing any lawful act. By intimidating, wrongfully restraining, wrongfully confining, or injuring him or by using criminal force on him/her or by holding out to him/her any threat of intimidation, wrongful confinement, injury or the use of criminal force."

“Ragging in all its forms is totally banned in this institution including in its departments, constituent units, all its premises (academic, residential, sports, kiosks, cafeteria and the like) whether located within the campus or outside and in all means of transportation of students whether public or private. The institution shall take strict action including but not limited to criminal proceeding and/or cancellation of admission against those found guilty of ragging and/or of abetting ragging and the burden of proof shall hereby lie on the perpetrator of alleged ragging and not on the victim. An offence of Ragging may be charged either on a written complaint by the affected or on independent finding of the Anti Ragging Squad. The Institution is bound by the UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions 2009."