CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday directed the higher education secretary to be a party in the case of the alleged death of a Presidency College student in a group clash in October.
Expressing concern over the lack of measures from stakeholders to prevent such incidents of clashes among college students, Justice AD Jagadish Chandira observed, “It is much painful to note that while mere sympathy is being shown for the victim, no empathy is being manifested from any quarter, which alone could prevent any such predicament in future.”
The court stated, “Students are at a sprouting stage and should be guided through enlightenment towards their aspirations rather than being ruined by unwanted groups. This can be achieved through regular teacher-parent meetings at the school level, where the young ones can be made aware of the positive power of unity and prevented from being lured by its negative side.” The judge further noted that to address the issue, it would be appropriate to implead the higher education secretary as a necessary party.
This came after the tragic death of Sundar, a student from Presidency College, who was assaulted by students from Pachaiyappa’s College on October 4. Sundar died from his injuries five days later. The arrested students have applied for bail, with the court adjourning the hearing to November 26.