THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A judicial commission appointed by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has found major lapses on the part of former Vice Chancellor of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University MR Saseendranath in the death of J S Sidharthan, a second year student at the varsity's College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Pookode in Wayanad.
The report of Justice (Retd) A Hariprasad Commission, that was submitted to the Governor here on Tuesday noted that the VC cannot shirk his responsibility in the incident merely on the grounds that nobody promptly informed him about it. The Commission also found that two incidents of ragging had happened in the varsity campus during the stint of the then VC and blamed him for not being "vigilant and proactive".
The Commission report stated that the Dean had failed in discharging duties as warden of the hostel where Siddharthan was found hanging on February 18. The report said the Dean (Warden) should have seen that Siddharthan was dead the time he reached the hostel and should have waited for the law enforcing agency to act.
The Assistant warden also failed in his duties to enforce discipline in the men's hostel, the Commission found. Senior students were ruling the roost in the hostel and the Assistant Warden did not care to visit the rooms to find out the unruly behavior of students in the hostel.
The Commission also found that some faculty members who were at the helm of the university administration were not interested in staying at the varsity headquarters in Pookode, Wayanad. This had led to lack of efficiency in management and could lead to anarchy, the report said and recommended that remedial measures should be taken.
The Commission report concluded that the cruelty meted out to Siddharthan in the campus was not connected to student politics. The report added that political activity in the campus was not the main reason for Siddharthan's death.
"Nonetheless, political activism in the campus, that too by one organisation with the strength of external support, could be a reason to downplay the gravity of the offence and to provide help to accused persons and shield them from the clutches of law," the report said.
The body of Siddharhan (20), was found hanging inside the bathroom of his hostel on February 18 allegedly after physical and mental torture by senior students. A CBI inquiry is currently underway on the student's death.