The police apprehended another individual, purportedly the main culprit in the ragging incident that led to the suicide of JS Siddharth, identified as Akhil from Palakkad. Siddharth, a second-year student at Pookode Kerala Veterinary and Animal Husbandry University, took his own life in the college hostel toilet on February 18. Investigating Officer Kalpetta DySP TN Sajeevan stated that Akhil is directly implicated in the crime and is currently undergoing extensive interrogation. Earlier, six out of the 18 students implicated in the case were arrested on Wednesday for various offences under the IPC and the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act. Notably, the intervention of the ragging cell played a pivotal role in the investigation.
According to a fellow student present during the ordeal, Siddharth endured severe torture from February 14 to February 18, including physical assaults and forced nudity in front of approximately 130 hostel students. The hostel warden and college dean allegedly knew about the ongoing abuse, while the assailants threatened anyone contemplating reporting the matter. Post-mortem findings revealed extensive physical trauma on Siddharth’s body, including injuries consistent with heavy object infliction, suggesting sustained abuse over several days. Meanwhile, accusations have been leveled against the ruling CPI(M) student wing, SFI, by the Congress, stirring controversy in the state’s political landscape. Despite several arrests, numerous suspects remain at large, including office bearers and members of the SFI college union.
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