New Delhi - Four students of a medical college in India's northern state of Himachal Pradesh have been arrested for allegedly beating to death a junior student, news reports said Wednesday.

Aman Kachru, 19, died Sunday after he was attacked at the Rajendra Prasad Medical College at Tanda town in Kangra district, about 240 kilometres north-west of state capital, Shimla.

Kachru was allegedly assaulted by the final-year students during a ragging session Friday night, the IANS news agency reported.

Ragging is a form of teasing new students by senior students as part of initiation rites, but it often takes the form of dangerous physical abuse.

Ragging is banned in educational institutions under Indian law.

The younger student reportedly complained in writing to college authorities Saturday, saying he had been slapped and repeatedly hit by several seniors whom he named.

A post-mortem examination confirmed that Kachru's death was caused by head injuries, Kangra Superintendent of Police Atul Kumar Fulzele said.

Himachal Pradesh Health Minister Rajeev Bindal said a judicial inquiry had been ordered to find out if the college failed to prevent the ragging.

"Once the report comes, action will be taken against erring officials, if any," he said.

"At this point, it's difficult to comment on the negligence of college authorities in checking sadistic acts on the campus and delay in providing treatment to the victim," the minister added.

Bindal said the principal of the college, S Sankhyan, had resigned to take moral responsibility for the incident. (dpa)