Kerala Veterinary University Vice-Chancellor Suspended Over Students Death

In response to a student's death on campus on Saturday, the governor suspended the vice-chancellor of the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University.

On February 18, JS Sidhharth, a second-year student at the Veterinary University in Wayanad, was discovered hanging inside the dorm. His family claimed it was murder rather than suicide.

Eleven persons were detained by the police in the meantime. The 20-year-old student was allegedly raped and tortured by them before he passed away.

According to the victim's father, his kid had an empty stomach and wounds all over his body, indicating that he had been severely abused and starved.

Governor Arif Muhammed Khan stated that the postmortem results showed it was a "pure case of murder and not ragging."

It's a major oversight by university administration. Nobody knows about the nearly three days that this torture lasted. The university has an obligation to notify the Chancellor of the situation. It was completed yesterday. We thus chose to place the Vice Chancellor on leave," he declared.

An investigation into the incident has been ordered by the Governor, who also serves as the university's Chancellor. The accused, according to the victim's relatives, belonged to the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student branch of the CPI (M) that is currently in power, and the party was defending them.

"In every university, SFI has transformed one hostel into the headquarters for their activities," the governor stated in reference to this. PFI, the Popular Front of India, which is outlawed, collaborates with SFI. Wayanad has informed me that some of the individuals involved are PFI sympathisers."

The family further claimed that the accused was being shielded by university officials. They mentioned that the body was hauled down by the officials before to the arrival of the police.

Leader of the opposition VD Satheesan said that the dean and other teachers attempted to conceal the occurrence.

"The dean was among the teachers that covered up the vicious assault and ragging. Are these instructors? Under no circumstances should such teachers be allowed to teach there. He suggested that teachers should also face appropriate consequences.

Opposition youth wings organised a demonstration calling for the accused to be held accountable.

In the meantime, the state administration pledged to carry out a comprehensive investigation and prosecute everyone connected to the incident. The head of the state police was instructed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to assemble a special inquiry team to look into Siddharth's death. In addition, he issued an order to take serious legal action against the incident's accused parties.

P. Rajeev, the law minister, added that offenders would face consequences regardless of the group to which they may be affiliated.

At first, the police had filed a report on an unusual death. Later, the complaint was filed under the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act and the Indian Penal Code for a number of offences, including wrongful restraint, aiding suicide, and intentionally inflicting harm through the use of dangerous weapons or methods.