Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) has expelled 19 students of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode, Wayanad, in connection with the death of JS Siddharthan, a second-year BVSc student.
The anti-ragging committee of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) has expelled 19 students of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode, in connection with the death of JS Sidharthan, a second-year BVSc student who was found dead in the men’s hostel of the Pookode campus on February 18, 2024.
The university informed the Kerala High Court of this decision while a division bench comprising Justice Amit Rawal and Justice K V Jayachandran was hearing an appeal by Siddharthan’s mother, M R Sheeba. In her appeal, Sidharthan’s mother, Sheeba, challenged a single-bench order that had allowed the accused students to continue their studies in another campus. When the appeal came up for hearing, the counsel for KVASU submitted that the 19 students accused in the case had been expelled from the college on the basis of a fresh inquiry conducted by the anti-ragging committee as directed by the single judge.
The expelled students are: Abhishek S, Adithyan V, Ajay J, Akash S D, Akhil K, Althaf A, Amal. Ihsan A, Ameen Akbarali U, Arun K, N Asif Khan, Billgate Joshva Thannikode, Dones Daie, Hashim V, Sinjo Johnson, Muhammed Dhanish M, Rehan Binoy, Saud Risal E K, R S Kashinadhan, and Sreehari R D.
The charges against the students include abetment to ragging, conspiracy, physical and psychological humiliation through ragging, brutal injury to the body causing grievous hurt, and threatening and instilling fear.
J S Sidharthan was found dead inside the college hostel after a brutal ragging and assault allegedly by the leaders of SFI, the students’ wing of the CPI-M, on February 18, 2024. Sidharthan was reportedly beaten up by SFI leaders at four places in the college premises. However, the SFI has denied the allegations.