The authorities have officially reopened the FIR initially lodged at the Vythiri police station in Wayanad, implicating 20 individuals late on Friday night. Sidharthan JS, a 20-year-old veterinary student found deceased in his college hostel bathroom in Kerala’s Wayanad district on February 18, reportedly suffered over 29 hours of continuous mistreatment from seniors and classmates prior to his suicide, a media report reveals.
Drawing from details transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from the Kerala police, an Indian Express report highlights that Sidharthan was subjected to severe physical and psychological abuse by seniors and classmates, leading him to end his life.
The CBI took charge of the investigation into the demise of the second-year student at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Wayanad on Friday evening.
According to police records, Sidharthan experienced extreme bullying from 9 am on February 16 to 2 pm on February 17, enduring assaults with hands and a belt. The relentless harassment drove him to a profound mental crisis, feeling incapable of continuing his studies or returning home. Trapped in despair, Sidharthan chose to take his life by hanging in the hostel’s bathroom between 12:30 pm and 1:45 pm on February 18.
Initially filed as an unnatural death, the police investigation, fueled by reports from the anti-ragging squad, statements from the college dean, the autopsy medical officer, and other witnesses, confirmed that Sidharthan faced relentless physical and mental harassment from select seniors and classmates.
The CBI has re-registered the original FIR against 20 individuals, shortly after the central government’s directive, under charges including criminal conspiracy, aiding suicide, unlawful confinement, intentional harm, and violations of Kerala’s anti-ragging laws. A CBI team, along with forensic experts, plans to visit the state soon.
This tragic incident has sparked a political storm, with allegations from the opposition Congress and BJP claiming government negligence in providing the CBI with essential files, thereby hindering the investigation.
Kerala’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, promised a CBI investigation on March 9 amidst growing political unrest. The state recently suspended three Home Department employees for failing to furnish the CBI with necessary documents, further accusing them of attempting to obstruct the investigation.
The opposition, including the deceased student’s family, criticizes the state government and police for allegedly protecting the culprits and delaying the CBI inquiry.
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar assured the victim’s family of efforts to fast-track the CBI investigation. Meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF accuses the Left government and police of shielding the perpetrators.
The victim’s father alleges his son was tormented for eight months preceding his death, with senior leaders from the SFI reportedly present at the college, indicating a possible knowledge of the abuse, which they failed to stop.
