A photo of a vigil for Sidharthan, a student of the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, who was found hanging in his hostel bathroom, in Wayanad.
Credit: PTI Photo
J S Sidharthan, a 20-year-old second-year student at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Kerala's Wayanad district, was subjected to 'continuous assault by seniors and classmates for approximately 29 hours' before he committed suicide by hanging himself in his hostel bathroom, Indian Express has reported.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has taken over the probe from Kerala Police and re-registered the FIR filed at the Vythiri police station in Waynad against 20 people late Friday night, within hours of receiving a notification from the central government in this connection.
Besides the four Students Federation of India (SFI) leaders — union president Arun K, SFI unit secretary Amal Ihsan, and unit members Asif Khan and Abhishek S — 16 other accused have also been named in the FIR.
The FIR has charged them with criminal conspiracy, abetment to suicide, and violations of the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act.
The Indian Express report cited one of the case files that revealed that Sidharthan was "physically and mentally tortured" by his seniors and peers, which ultimately led to his decision to end his life.
FIR Details
According to the IE report, "Sidharthan was subjected to continuous assault from February 16 to February 17, lasting from 9 am to 2 pm, during which he was attacked with hands and a belt, experiencing severe ragging. This caused him significant mental distress, leading him to believe he couldn't continue his studies at the institute or return home without completing the course. Feeling overwhelmed, he saw no way out other than suicide and ultimately hung himself in the men's hostel bathroom between 12:30 pm and 1:45 pm on February 18."
Initially treated as an unnatural death, the investigation further revealed through the college's anti-ragging squad report, statements from the dean and medical officer who conducted the autopsy, and other witnesses that Sidharthan was subjected to both physical and mental torture by senior students and classmates.
The initial FIR was filed under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) based on a statement from another second-year student. However, further investigation led to the addition of new sections, including IPC Sections 120 (criminal conspiracy), 306 (abetment to suicide), 323 (causing hurt), 342 (illegal confinement), 506 (threatening), 355 (assault), and relevant sections of The Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, the publication mentioned.