Police made four arrests on Friday in connection with the recent death of a student at the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Wayanad. Both the Congress and BJP accused the ruling party CPI(M)'s student wing the Students Federation of India (SFI) of being responsible for the student's demise. With these arrests, the number of individuals apprehended in connection with the case has risen to 11. Among these, five are among the 12 main accused, while the rest are still at large, as per police statements, news agency PTI reported.
On February 18, Twenty-year-old Siddharthan, a second-year student of the Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, was found hanging in his hostel bathroom. Initially deemed an unnatural death, the police later charged 12 students with various offenses, including abetment of suicide, wrongful restraint, and causing harm by dangerous weapons or means, under the IPC and the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act. This number of accused later increased to 18.
On Friday, police made four arrests, including two individuals who surrendered on Thursday, one apprehended in Kollam the previous day, and another who surrendered before a court in Kalpetta, Wayanad district, on the same day, according to a senior police official, PTI reported.
Kerala Veterinary Student Death: Governor Arif Khan, Congress's K C Venugopal Claim SFI Involvement
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, state Food Supplies Minister G R Anil, AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal, and Youth Congress state President Rahul Mamkootathil visited the deceased family today.
Following the visit, Governor Khan expressed concern about a "cult of violence" being promoted in the state, and urged all political parties to rethink their strategies and "give up using violence to achieve political ends". Khan outlined that young people were being "trained in violent methods, high-handedness, and bullying", as per PTI.
"I appeal to Kerala society and every party to rethink their strategies. Give up violence. Violence, ultimately, does not solve any problems. Violence is a negation of civilised conduct, democracy, ethical values, humanity and humanness. "So, I appeal to each and every political party to give up using violence as a method to achieve political ends and to stop training youngsters in violent methods," the governor said, as quoted by PTI.
Khan responded that it is "obvious" that the SFI, the student wing of the ruling CPI(M), was engaged in Siddharthan's death when asked if he believed this. He accused everyone, including the police and the college authorities, who knew that the SFI was involved in the death of the victim.
The student arm of the ruling CPI(M), the SFI, has continuously refuted the accusations made against it. After meeting the family, Venugopal said, "It was a clear-cut case of murder".
The senior Congress leader further questioned the measures taken by the college administration to deter such offenses. Additionally, Venugopal charged Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan with converting the SFI into a criminal enterprise.
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Kerala Veterinary Student Death: Vijayan Govt Ministers On Probe
Food Supplies Minister Anil assured that the government was taking the matter seriously and would pursue strict legal action against the culprits, regardless of their affiliations. He emphasised that there would be an impartial investigation, and anyone found involved, including college authorities, would face appropriate legal consequences. "It is not a political issue," he said, PTI reported.
State General Education Minister V Sivankutty stated that the government was committed to bringing all individuals involved in the incident to justice.
Responding to the involvement of SFI, the minister stated that be it any organisation, the government will take stringent action against those involved in the incident. Later, the Youth Congress marched to the state secretariat, shouting anti-SFI chants and alleging it with the death of Siddharthan.
In the meantime, the Kerala High Court-supervised Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram, an RSS organisation, insisted that the CBI or an impartial team look into the student's death. It also seeks compensation of Rs 1 crore for the victim's family.
Siddharthan's parents claimed that some of his classmates informed them that he was beaten to death by local SFI leaders and activists.