Wayanad Student Suicide Case: Kerala Police Report Says He Was Subjected To Continuous Assault For Almost 29 Hours

The Kerala veterinary student who was found hanging in his hostel bathroom was allegedly subjected to continuous assault for approximately 29 hours by seniors and classmates before he died by suicide, according to police in Kerala.

The police have stated this in the suicide abetment case file that they handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as per a report by The Indian Express.

J S Sidharthan, a 20-year-old second-year student of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Kerala's Wayanad district, was the victim in this tragic incident.

The central agency has registered an FIR against 20 individuals in connection with his death, invoking charges of criminal conspiracy, abetment to suicide, and provisions of the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act.

In one of the documents in the case file, sub-inspector Prashobh P V of Vythiri police station wrote that the seniors and peers "physically and mentally tortured" Sidharthan, leading to his decision to take his own life.

"…They assaulted Sidharthan from 9 am to 2 pm continuously on February 16 till February 17, using their hands and a belt, and subjected him to cruel ragging. This extreme mental and physical torture made him feel that he could neither continue studying at the institute nor return home without completing the course. Mentally stressed, he felt that suicide was his only option, and he hanged himself in the bathroom of the men's hostel between 12.30 pm and 13.45 pm on February 18," the report stated.

Initially, the police had registered a case of unnatural death. However, during the investigation, it became evident from the report produced by the college's anti-ragging squad, statements from the dean and the medical officer who conducted the autopsy, and other witnesses, that Sidharthan was "physically and mentally tortured" by some senior students and classmates.

Apart from the four Students Federation of India (SFI) leaders — union president Arun K, SFI unit secretary Amal Ihsan, and unit members Asif Khan and Abhishek S — the CBI has named other accused individuals: Akhil K, Kashinadhan R S, Ameen Akbarali, Arun K, Sinjo Johnson, Ajay J, Althaf A, Soud Risal E K, Adithyan, Muhammed Dhanish, Rehan Binoy, Akash S D, Shreehari R D, Dons Dai, Billgate Joshwa Thannikkode, Naseer V, and Abhi V.