KOCHI: Sidharthan J S was brutally assaulted, subjected to public trial and denied medical attention for hours, the final report by the CBI investigating the veterinary college student’s death has revealed. Sidharthan, 20 a student of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, was found hanging in the hostel in Pookode, Wayanad, on February 18.
The CBI’s New Delhi Unit submitted the report before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Ernakulam on April 25. The document, a copy of which is with TNIE, brings to light the horrific ordeal the youth from Thiruvananthapuram was subjected to from the night of February 16 until the early hours of February 17. It said the accused persons — 19 people have been booked in the case — stripped Sidharthan to his undergarments while questioning his alleged misbehaviour towards a girl student. It said Sidharthan was continuously beaten up with a belt, a glue gun cable, and slapped and kicked. A partially-naked Sidharthan was also forced to “confess” his guilt before the hostel inmates, the CBI document said.
The assault, restraint, confinement, humiliation, and harassment, started around 9.30pm on February 16 and lasted till 1 am on February 17, said the report, adding that Sidharthan was repeatedly pushed to the ground by the accused persons.
Findings
As per the report, the probe has established that accused 1 to 19 — Akhil K, Kashinathan R S, Ameen Akberali U, Arun K, Sinjo Johnson, N Asif Khan, Amal Ihsan A, Ajay J, Althaf A, Soud Risal E K, Adithyan V, Muhammed Dhanish M, Rehan Benoy, Akash S D, Abhishek S, Shreehari R D, Dones Daie, Billgate Joshwa Thannikode and Naseef V — committed offences under IPC and The Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act 1998.
Second opinion on cause of death awaited: CBI report
“The humiliation and harassment deprived the deceased Sidharthan of his self-respect and dignity,” said the report, adding that after beating and humiliating him, the accused persons neither provided him medical care nor offered consolation to bring him out of the mental trauma, thereby abetting Sidharthan to commit suicide.
It said while the postmortem report suggests ‘death due to hanging’ as the cause, the CBI has sought a second opinion. The autopsy report and detailed notes of the forensic doctor, along with photographs taken at the time of the postmortem, have been forwarded to AIIMS, New Delhi, for constituting a medical board and providing expert opinion. “The second opinion from the board is awaited,” the report said, adding that further probe was needed to ascertain the role of others in the student’s death.
Detailing the events before Sidharthan’s death, the report said after classes got over, Sidharthan had left for Thiruvananthapuram by train on February 15. It said the accused decided to question Sidharthan for his alleged misbehaviour, and the 13th accused Rehan Benoy called him on his phone. Rehan, 10th accused Soud Risal E K and 12th accused Muhammed Dhanish M compelled him to return to the hostel to settle the issue, and Sidharthan got off in Ernakulam and returned to the college, it said. “Around 9.30 pm on February 16, accused Dhanish, Adithyan V, Soud, and Althaf A, along with his classmates, took Sidharthan to a hillock opposite the men’s hostel, and questioned him. Hearing the noise, the second accused Kashinathan R S went to the spot and asked what was happening. Dhanish said there was some issue, which they will settle,” it said.
The report said Kashinathan left but returned and slapped Sidharthan, and instructed others to take him to the hostel where he would “deal with him.” Sidharthan was taken to room 21, allotted to accused Amal Ihsan. He was made to confess in front of many students, said the report. “Accused Amal, Sinjo Johnson, Asif Khan, Arun K, Kashinathan, Ameen Akberali U, Althaf, Ajay J, Adithyan, Dhanish, Dones Daie, Billgate Joshwa Thannikode and Soud physically assaulted Sidharthan with a leather belt, cable wire of a glue gun, and also kicked and slapped him. He was forced to stand in his undergarments and was confined to the room,” the report said. Around 1am on February 17, Sidharthan was taken to the dormitory on the first floor, where Kashinathan threatened him that “he will be socially isolated”, causing mental trauma to the deceased.
First accused Akhil, a PhD student, reached the dormitory, slapped Sidharthan and dispersed others. Sidharthan then returned to his dormitory and slept in room 5, said the report, adding he did not eat that day. He was found hanging from the iron grill in the ventilation window of the bathroom on February 18, said the final report.
Charges
IPC Sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (causing hurt using a dangerous weapon), 342 (wrongful confinement), 355 (criminal force or assault with intent to dishonour a person, but not on grave provocation), 306 (abetment of suicide) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
Test using dummy
Sidharthan’s death was recreated by a team of experts from CFSL, New Delhi, using a dummy having his same height and weight. The dimensions of the bathroom, the position of the inner bolt and the broken condition of the door etc, were noted by the CFSL team, said the final report.