Kerala Shocker: 20-Year-Old Student Found Dead in College Hostel’s Bathroom in Wayanad, Was Continuously Assaulted by Peers for 29 Hours, Says Report
In the suicide abetment case file they sent to the CBI, the Kerala Police stated that Sidharthan was "continuously" beaten, assualted by classmates and seniors for 29 hours prior to his death.
Wayanad, April 7: The investigation into the death of a 20-year-old veterinary student at a college hostel in Kerala's Wayanad district has been turned over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). On February 18, the student named Sidharthan JS's body was discovered within the hostel's bathroom. His family had claimed that he had been ragging by other students, including members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) student wing and the Students' Federation of India (SFI).
In the suicide abetment case file they sent to the CBI, the Kerala Police stated that Sidharthan was "continuously" beaten, assualted by classmates and seniors for 29 hours prior to his suicide, as reported by The Indian Express. Sub-inspector Prashobh PV of the Vythiri police station reported that Sidharthan was "physically and mentally tortured" by peers and seniors, which ultimately led to his death. Ragging in Kerala: First Year Student of DC School of Management And Technology Admitted to Hospital, Says 'Was Beaten up For 3 Hours'.
They mercilessly beat Sidharthan with a belt and hands from 9 am to 2 pm on February 16 and continued the abuse till February 17. This sent him into a severe state of mental turmoil and gave him the impression that he would never be able to finish this course at the Institute or go home and drop it. His mental state of stress led him to believe that he had no choice but to end his life. On February 18, between 12.30 and 13.45 pm, he hanged himself in the men's hostel restroom, the police report said, according to The Indian Express report. Ragging Victims, Witnesses To Be Punished if They Don’t Report Such Incidents, Says Gujarat Government.
Following hours after receiving a notification from the Centre, the CBI re-registered the first information report (FIR) against 20 individuals that was submitted on Friday night to the Vythiri police station in Wayanad. The CBI re-registers the FIR to begin an inquiry in instances that are submitted by the state. On March 9, following a political outcry over the matter, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan promised a CBI inquiry. The Opposition Congress and the BJP claimed that weeks after the pledge, the state administration had still not given the CBI access to important papers, which caused the issue to explode into a major controversy.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 07, 2024 01:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).