KALPETTA: Six students affiliated to the SFI were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the alleged suicide of a second-year student of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Pookode, Wayanad, around 10 days ago.
Rahan Binoy, 20, Akash S D, 22, Abhishek S, 23, Sreehari R D, 23, Dons Daayi, 23 and Billgate Joshoua, 23, were arrested after hours of interrogation led by Kalpetta DySP Sajeev T N. The other accused include college union secretary K Arun, union member Asif Khan and SFI unit secretary Amal.
Sidharth of Nedumangad was found hanging in his hostel’s bathroom on February 18. On February 24, the college suspended 12 students after its anti-ragging committee found he was brutally beaten up by fellow students days before his death. The arrested persons are not among the suspended students.
Jayaprakash, Sidharth’s father, alleged his son was beaten to death by his seniors. “On February 14, Sidharth danced with senior students during a Valentine’s Day function, for which he was beaten up in front of around 100 students. Sidharth’s friends told us that the college union secretary and his gang threatened to kill them if they revealed the assault,” said Jayaprakash, who also accused Vythiri police of delaying the arrest of the accused.
His family members said Sidharth had booked a train ticket for home on February 15, but cancelled the trip after one of his friends called him. They claimed that Sidharth was uncharacteristically quiet and gloomy after that.
Cops accused of laxity in arresting accused
After Sidharth died, police registered a case of unnatural death. By the time they registered a case under the Prohibition of Ragging Act, 2011 – after the anti-ragging committee report and Sidharth’s autopsy revealed he had been beaten up – several accused persons absconded.
It is alleged the accused had been in college till February 24, but the police showed no interest in taking them into custody. They finally arrested six students after being accused of laxity. However, the 12 suspended students remain absconding.
Sajeev, who is heading the probe, said police have charged the students, both arrested and absconding, under the Prohibition of Ragging Act and abetment of suicide (IPC Section 306) after receiving the anti-ragging committee’s report.
“The accused include senior students and Sidharth’s batchmates. The police took eight students into custody and recorded the arrest of six. They are not among the suspended students,” he said.