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Kerala: Amid Allegations Of Cover-Up, Student’s Death Case Handed To CBI

The Kerala government has decided to ask the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) to investigate the death of a student from Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University.

The Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, said that although the police investigation was moving in the right direction, the parents of the deceased visited him on Saturday, expressing their distress. Therefore, to address their concerns, a CBI probe will be requested.

JS Sidhharth, a second-year degree student at the Veterinary University in Wayanad, was discovered hanging inside the college hostel on February 18. His family claimed it wasn’t suicide but murder. Police arrested 11 individuals accused of ragging and torturing the 20-year-old student before his demise.

The victim’s father mentioned that his son’s body had injury marks and an empty stomach, suggesting he was severely beaten and denied food. Governor Arif Muhammed Khan, referring to the postmortem report, stated it indicated a “clear case of murder, not ragging”.

The Governor, who serves as the university’s Chancellor, had initiated an investigation into the incident. Police have charged the accused 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.

The victim’s family claimed the accused were associated with the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the ruling CPI(M), and alleged the party was shielding them.

The family accused university authorities of shielding the accused, noting they removed the body before police arrival. Opposition leader VD Satheesan claimed teachers, including the dean, attempted to conceal the incident.

The youth wings of opposition parties staged a protest demanding action against the accused, and Kerala Students Union and Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad workers clashed with police statewide, leading to arrests and numerous injuries on both sides.

V.D. Satheesan praised the government’s move to launch a CBI inquiry into Sidharth’s death, terming it a triumph for justice and humanity. He noted that the government’s decision also marked a political win for the Congress, prompting the end of the hunger strike by party workers.

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