Kerala: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a formal complaint (FIR) in the suicide case of JS Sidharthan on April 5. Documents attached to the FIR state that the day before Sidharthan took his own life, he was subjected to 29 hours of nonstop mental and physical abuse at the hands of classmates and seniors.
Sections 120B, 341, 323, 324, 355, 306, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 4 r/w 3 of the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act have been utilised to file a formal complaint against 20 accused. As for the other accused in this case, their names are Kashinandhan R, Ameen Akbarali U, Arun K, Sinjo Johnson, N Asif Khan, Aman Ihsan, Ajay J, Althaf A, Soud Risal EK, Adithyan V, Akash SD, Abhishek S, Shreehari RD, Dons Dai, Billgate Joshwa Thannikkode, Naseef V, and Abhi A. The primary accused in this case is Akhil K.
TNG Times obtained a copy of the FIR, which includes several papers related to the probe. Sub-Inspector Prashobh PV testified in front of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate Court in Mananthavady, according to one of the documents, that Sidharthan endured 29 hours of nonstop physical and psychological abuse at the hands of some of his classmates and senior students.
The statement from the college’s anti-ragging squad, the dean, the medical officer who performed the autopsy, and other witnesses were included in the paper. Some of Sidharthan’s classmates and senior-year students subjected him to physical and psychological abuse. They repeatedly beat Sidharthan with a hand and a belt on February 16, 2024, from 9 AM until 2 p.m. and cruelly raped him, according to the paper.
The statement went on to say that the ragging had “put him in a complete state of mental stress and the feeling that he can’t go home and drop the course or continue studying in the institute and finish this course.” He thought that there was nothing else he could do because he was so mentally burdened, so on February 18, 2024, between 12:30 and 1:45 PM, he hanged himself in the men’s hostel restroom.
The police initially reported an unexplained death. However, the investigation found that the child had been subjected to abuse by peers and seniors. The CBI listed the names of multiple other accused in addition to Arun K, Amal Ihsan, Asif Khan, and Abhishek S, the Students Federation of India (SFI) leaders.
Finding JS Sidharthan hanged at a hostel following abuse by SFI members
20-year-old JS Sidharthan, also known as Sidharth, was discovered dead in the KVASU dorm on February 18. Multiple SFI members allegedly tortured the girl for days before she committed suicide.
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan removed Professor (Dr.) MR Saseendranath, the vice-chancellor of the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, in response to the outcry over Sidharthan’s death. In addition, 31 college students were suspended for their involvement in the case at the anti-ragging committee’s suggestion.
Most members belong to the Students Federation of India (SFI), a Marxist student organisation connected to the Communist Party of India. Thus far, four SFI leaders have been among the eleven accused who have been taken into custody.
Notably, in the afternoon, the body of JS Sidharthan was discovered hanging in the college residence hall lavatory. Among the numerous things his post-mortem report revealed was that he had taken a serious beating just before his death. In addition, his body was covered with wounds, and his stomach was empty. He has back, jaw, and head injuries.
The police then filed an unnatural death report in this instance. After the college’s anti-ragging committee discovered that the victim had been severely beaten up by other students just days before to his death, twelve students, including left-wing student leaders, were also suspended from the institution. The suspended students who are avoiding arrest are not the same as those who have been arrested. Sidharthan’s father claimed that left-wing students frequently tortured his son. The president of the college union, a union member, and the secretary of the SFI unit are among the suspended SFI officials and members.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed the CBI to look into the matter on March 9. The student’s father and opposition parties had held the SFI accountable for the student’s passing.
In relation to his son’s death, Jayaprakash, JS Sidharthan’s father, made grave accusations against the Kerala government on March 31. If no action is taken, he and his wife will demonstrate outside Cliff House, the Kerala chief minister’s residence, once their health permits. He clarified that the protest would be directed towards an attempt to disrupt the CBI inquiry rather than a delay in it.
