Dead Kerala Vet Student Assaulted With Belt & Cable Wire, 18 Arrested

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala police have arrested 18 accused, in the case of 20-year-old Sidharthan J S, found hanging inside the bathroom of the college hostel at Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Wayanad on February 18.

The initial investigation report submitted by the police in court on Sunday said that a belt and a cable wire were used to assault Sidharthan.

The accused were booked under sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon), 306 (Abetment of suicide), of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Kerala Prohibition Of Ragging Act.

According to the police report, the victim’s classmates and seniors held a public trial inside the hostel alleging that he had misbehaved with a girl student of the college.

The victim was stripped and the accused assaulted him. The assault began on February 16 at around 9 PM and lasted till 2 AM on February 17.

Sidharthan was a second-year Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry student. His parents have claimed that some of his college mates told them that he was beaten to death by some local SFI leaders and activists.

The Congress and the BJP accused the ruling CPI (M)’s student wing SFI of beating Sidharthan to death.

The Students Federation of India (SFI) has denied the allegations.