CBI probe demanded in Kerala student's death, Dean suspended

Opposition leader V D Satheesan said that there were allegations of police trying to protect the accused students, which included local leaders of CPM's student outfit SFI.

Thiruvananthapuram: The opposition party Congress in Kerala has demanded a CBI probe into the death of a student of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Wayanad allegedly following mob-trial and brutal ragging.

Opposition leader V D Satheesan said in a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that there were allegations of police trying to protect the accused students, which included local leaders of CPM's student outfit SFI.

Hence a CBI probe should be ordered into the incident.

Meanwhile, the police reportedly recovered objects that were used to brutally assault Sidharth J S, second year student at College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences. The remand report of the accused, which came out today, also states the brutal assault on the accused for three days.

Though  Sidharth was found hanging in the washroom of the university hostel on February 18, his parents raised suspicion that their son was murdered.

The university dean M K Narayanan, who was also the hostel warden, and assistant warden were placed under suspension by Kerala animal husbandry minister J Chinchu Rani, who is also pro-chancellor of the university accusing the two of lapses.

Narayanan however told a section of media that there was no lapse on his part. He also said that the deceased Sidharth could have complained to him about the harassment from seniors earlier itself.