Dean of university was aware of torture: Sidharth's father demands to arraign college authorities

Sidharth was found hanging in the washroom of the college hostel on February 18. He was brutally beaten up for three days, denied food and even made to walk naked in front of other students in the hostel.

Thiruvananthapuram: The family of the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University student who died allegedly following brutal ragging and mob-trial has demanded that the college authorities should be also arraigned in the case.

Deceased student J S Sidharth's father Jayaprakash said that the Dean of the university M K Narayanan and some other officials were aware of the torture being faced by his son. Hence, they should be also arraigned in the case.

Opposition Congress and its youth and student outfits also staged protests in Thiruvananthapuram and in Wayanad demanding action against the college authorities.

Congress also alleged that the local leaders of CPM were threatening the police team who are probing the case in which leaders of CPM's student outfit SFI are the accused.

There were also allegations that drug use and other illegal activities were quite rampant at the hostel. But the authorities concerned did not take any action.

Kerala Animal Husbandry Minister J Chinju Rani, who is also the pro-chancellor of the university, defended the dean stating that so far there was no evidence of his involvement in the incident. "There was lapse on his part in informing the matter to the student's family in time," she said.

Meanwhile, the ruling CPM made a bid to wriggle out of the embarrassment over the incident by framing Sidharth as a SFI worker. CPM and its youth outfits placed hoardings demanding stern action against those responsible for the death of 'SFI worker Sidharth'.

Sidharth's father rubbished it stating that his son was not at all associated with SFI or any other party. "Those who are responsible for his death are now trying to defend themselves," he flayed.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who visited Sidharth's house, accused the CPM by stating that certain forces were promoting a cult of violence in the state. He appealed to the political parties to give up using violence.

Police so far arrested ten of the 18 accused in the case, which included SFI leaders of the college union. All of them have been suspended from the university.

Sidharth was found hanging in the washroom of the college hostel on February 18. Post-mortem reports revealed that he suffered brutal torture for three days. He was brutally beaten up for three days, denied food and even made to walk naked in front of other students in the hostel.

Some students also reported the matter to the UGC anti-ragging cell after Sidharth's death.

Meanwhile, there were reports that the torture against Sidharth by seniors began over an incident during the valentine's day was a fake one.