A Kerala student who was allegedly assaulted for 29 hours ‘continuously’ by seniors and classmates, committed suicide. Police in Kerala stated the same in the suicide abetment case file they handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
J S Sidharthan, 20, was found hanging in the bathroom of his hostel in Kerala’s Wayanad district, reflecting a similar episode which happened in Kolkata’s Jadavpur University, where a first-year student died after he fell from the second-floor balcony of the university hostel on August 9, 2023, allegedly during ragging by seniors who were staying in the same facility illegally.
Sidharthan was a second-year student of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.
The central agency on Friday lodged an FIR against 20 people in connection with his death, invoking charges of criminal conspiracy and abetment to suicide as well as provisions of the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, reported The Indian Express.
In one of the case file documents, sub-inspector Prashobh P V of Vythiri police station wrote that seniors and peers “physically and mentally tortured” Sidharthan, driving him to take his own life.
“…They assaulted Sidharthan on February 16 from 9 am to 2 pm till February 17 continuously with hand and using a belt and subjected him to cruel ragging. This made him in an utter stage of mental stress and feeling that he can neither continue study in the Institute and complete this course nor go home dropping the course. As he is so mentally stressed, he felt that there is no option for him other than suicide, he committed suicide by hanging himself in the bath room of men’s hostel in between 12.30 pm and 13.45 pm on February 18,” the report stated, as quoted by the newspaper.
“Police had initially registered a case of unnatural death, but during investigation conducted so far, it is understood from the report produced by the anti-ragging squad of the college, from the statement of the dean of the college, from statement of the medical officer, who conducted autopsy and from the statement of the other witnesses, Sidharthan, was ‘physically and mentally tortured’ by some senior students and classmates,” the report said.
In its FIR, the CBI stated, as quoted by The Indian Express: “…The investigation in connection with the death of Sidharthan has been transferred to CBI. FIR was initially registered under Section 174 of CrPC on the basis of a statement of Krishanlal, another second year student. However, SI Prashobh filed an application before the concerned court to add new sections. The investigation is taken over from Kerala police by CBI and registering new FIR under IPC Sections; 120 (criminal conspiracy), 306 (abetment to suicide), 323 (causing hurt), 342 (illegal confinement), 506 (threatening), 355 (assault) and Section 4 Section 4, 3 of The Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act.”
Kolkata ragging horror
The 17-year-old fresher died after he fell from the second-floor balcony of the university hostel on August 9, 2023, allegedly during ragging by seniors who were staying in the same facility illegally.
The resident of Nadia district died in a hospital the next day.
A total of 12 men, all former or current students, who were staying in the hostel, were arrested in connection with the case.