IDUKKI: In a shocking incident, a first-year student of DC School of Management and Technology in Idukki was severely beaten up by seniors on the premises just three months after he joined the course.
Athul Mohan (23) from Chanthanathoppu in Kollam, was beaten up by a group of seniors at the college campus. The incident was an act of vengeance since he intentionally stayed away from the ragging session which was conducted earlier.
According to the police, the SC MAT students of B Com 2nd year indulged in ragging Athul, who joined the college this June, on Tuesday evening on the premises. Five students - Ben, Emmanual, Bibin, Nikhil and another person, whose identity is yet to be established - were involved.
Based on the complaint filed by Athul, the Wagamon police registered a case against five students on Friday, who are still absconding.
Prameela, Athul's mother told Express that his son has been in shock and is scared to return to the hostel. She alleged that he was repeatedly bullied by his seniors since he joined college. "One day they called Athul for ragging which he managed to escape by cooking up a story about suffering from epilepsy.
On finding out that Athul was lying, the five seniors called Athul to the college premises on Tuesday evening and asked him to hold an iron rod in one hand and his mobile phone on the other," she said. Athul was asked to stand there for nearly one and half hour without dropping any of the items from his hand, she further added.
Meanwhile, the team started beating him severely with a stick. He reportedly got thrashed for the entire time.
Since Athul was threatened by them that he will be finished, if the news goes out, he returned to the hostel that evening without letting anybody know about the incident.
His roommates who found him lying sick took him to a private hospital at Eerattupeeta and later informed Athul's parents.
Athul said that ragging has been a regular affair at college. Scared over the 'death threats' made by seniors, nobody dares to raise any complaints.
Athul was discharged from the hospital and will receive treatment in Kollam. "They have repeatedly attacked and bullied my son and they may do so in the future. My son is scared to return. We want the authorities to take strict action against the students involved in the case," she said.
Meanwhile, the principal of the college, Dr Shankar Rajeev, claimed that Mohan had admitted that it was an error of judgement on his part and has withdrawn his complaint.
Athul, however, denies this. The police too confirmed that the complaint stands.