The recent death of a second-year student at Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University who was found hanging inside the men’s hostel in Kerala’s Wayanad on January 18 has sent shockwaves through the state, with the remand report disclosing severe assault inflicted upon the victim before his demise.

According to the police report, the victim, Sidharthan, was allegedly subjected to a vicious assault by a group of classmates and seniors, involving the use of a belt and a cable wire, ultimately leading to his death.

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The report, submitted to the court, urged against granting bail to the accused, citing charges under Sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by a dangerous weapon), 306 (Abetment of suicide), and relevant sections of the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act.

The report detailed a public trial held by Sidharthan’s classmates and seniors inside the hostel, accusing him of misbehaving with a female student. One of the accused invoked the “unwritten law” of the hostel and called Sidharthan back to settle the matter.

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“He was stripped down to his underwear, and the accused assaulted him. Some of them used a belt and a cable wire,” the report stated, revealing that the assault spanned from February 16 at around 9 PM to February 17 at 2 AM.

Notably, all 18 accused in the case have been arrested.

What led to the torture?

On January 18, Sidharthan, a second-year student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, was found hanging inside the men’s hostel. He reportedly faced torture due to allegations that he had danced with senior female students at the college on Valentine’s Day.

Four leaders from the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), including the college union president, were allegedly involved in the assault.

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According to the family, Sidharthan was a bright student and he faced jealousy from classmates for dancing with girls on Valentine’s Day. After returning home due to a break in classes, a classmate convinced him to come back by submitting a paper.

Upon returning, Sidharthan was allegedly tortured for two days by the SFI leaders. He was stripped, beaten with a belt, and faced a mob trial. He was then kept in a room without food. Although his mother repeatedly called him, he did not answer any calls. Later, he told her that there was no issue, and that he would call back.

“We strongly suspect that the gang of students had hanged him, seeing his deteriorating health condition. They wanted to make it look like a suicide. All the students are afraid of the SFI, and no one is willing to come out openly fearing them,” victim’s uncle Shibu added.

Initially registered as an unnatural death, the police later pressed charges under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, covering abetment of suicide, wrongful restraint, and voluntarily causing hurt using dangerous weapons or means. Additionally, charges under the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act were applied.

Uproar in Kerala over students death

The state of Kerala is in uproar following the tragic death.Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has also expressed concern over the exploitation of youths.

The campus has remained tense since the incident, with protests organized by student organizations affiliated with the Congress and BJP. The Kerala Students Union (KSU), linked to the Congress, has initiated an indefinite agitation at the campus.

BJP State President K Surendran accused the CPI(M) of harboring the accused, alleging support from the college dean and hostel warden. He characterized Sidharthan’s murder as being executed in a “Taliban model.”

In response, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, acting as the Chancellor of Universities in the state, took action by suspending the Vice Chancellor of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Wayanad. The suspension order cited a report from VC Prof (Dr) M R Saseendranath, stating it was evidence of a severe lapse in duty during the events leading to the death of the victim.