Police have registered a case against 12 students pending investigation in the incident of the unnatural death of Siddharth (20), a student of Pookode Government Veterinary College in Wayanad. All the accused are reportedly the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) workers. SFI is the quasi-militant student branch of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM). They were only charged for ragging.
Vythiri police registered a case against SFI unit secretary Amal Ihsan (20), college union chairman K. Arun, SFI Union office bearers N. Asif Khan (20), K. Akhil (23), R.S. Kashinathan (19), Amin Akbar Ali (19), Sinjo Johnson (20), J. Ajay (20), E.K. Saud Rizal (22), A. Altaf (22), V. Adityan (22), M. Muhammad Danish (22). Four of them are Siddharth’s classmates.
Siddharth was a second-year veterinary science graduate student at the Government Veterinary College. He was a native of Nedumangad (a town in the Thiruvananthapuram district) and allegedly hanged himself in the bathroom of the hostel on the 18th. It is alleged that on the 16th and 17th, Siddharth had to face beatings and public trials at the hands of SFI goons in the college due to a dispute regarding the Valentine’s Day celebration.
He is the elder son of Kurakode native Pavithram House Jayaprakash and Sheeba. The young Hindu boy was discovered hanging from the ventilator in the restroom by his classmates. Despite being taken to the Vythiri Taluk Hospital quickly, he was pronounced deceased. Another student informed the family about the death.
Siddharth had gone to his home in Thiruvananthapuram and boarded a train on 15 February. (The nearest railway station is at Kozhikode). Due to threats, he had to get down at Ernakulam and return to college at night.
On the 16th, Siddharth was thrashed near the college. Kerala Students Union (KSU) (students organization of the Indian National Congress) said a public trial was held in front of the students in the hostel on the 17th. The Hindu student was found hanging in the bathroom of the hostel on the 18th afternoon.
There was a delay in the intervention of the college authorities. KSU officials alleged that the authorities initially tried to protect the accused. Siddharth’s parents also demanded that the other students be interrogated. The body was handed over to the relatives after the post-mortem.
Siddharth’s father told a reporter that several students who had witnessed the ragging came forward, but the college authorities and some students were threatening witnesses. After the body was discovered, the college authorities explained that it was suicide, but Siddharth’s family came forward, alleging that the death was mysterious.
Siddharth’s uncle Shibu alleged that his nephew was beaten with a belt and stripped naked. Jayaprakash also alleged that some of Siddharth’s friends told him that it was a murder. The family contends that Siddharth was beaten and hanged by his seniors.
The National Anti-Ragging Committee received a complaint that Siddharth was a victim of ragging. The anti-ragging committee of the university held a meeting and filed a report with the police. The accused SFI members were suspended following the report of the Anti-Ragging Committee.
SFI demanded a comprehensive investigation into Siddharth’s ‘suicide.’ District President Joel Joseph and District Secretary Jishnu Shaji demanded that the rumours be rejected and a factual investigation be conducted.
Siddharth’s parents have filed a complaint with the Chief Minister, the Human Rights Commission and the police, demanding a comprehensive inquiry into Siddharth’s death. The police first registered a case of unnatural death and then a case under the Anti-Ragging Act. The case will be handed over to DYSP Kalpatta on Saturday. No one has been arrested yet.
We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Sidharthan, a veterinary student at Pookode, who suffered torture leading to his untimely death. Having lived in the same hostel for several years, I’ve witnessed numerous instances of violence and mob attacks supported by the student union.
In the earlier stages of college inception, some students courageously resisted these attacks and promptly alerted authorities, resulting in interventions that often de-escalated the situations. For instance, when a student was brutally assaulted and manhandled for accused theft, teachers intervened and rescued him. Similarly, in many other incidents, hostel inmates have undergone assaults and moral policing by former students. But quick action from others brought the dean or hostel warden to the hostel to remove the assailants.
However, as time progressed into the 2010s, the men’s hostel became increasingly dangerous. Even former students who were practicing veterinarians at that time would visit and promote hazing, including dangerously swinging students from the third floor. Fear now looms large, with little intervention from college management or university officials, posing a severe threat to student safety.
This incident gained attention only because of Sidharthan’s unfortunate death. Sadly, torture and attacks have been happening in Pookode for years, often with the backing of student union leaders and campus politicians. This tragic incident is the result of the last 20 years of unchecked violence and administrative inefficiency. It’s disheartening to note that despite enduring three days of continuous torture, the authorities remained inactive.
Merely dismissing or arresting individuals will not address the underlying problem. It’s crucial for university officials, law enforcement, and the Parent-Teacher Association to come together and implement preventive measures to avoid such atrocities in the future.
Parents deserve the assurance that when they send their children to university, safety is a top priority, providing them with peace of mind!