THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Seven senior students of Kariavattom govt college, who were accused of brutally assaulting a first-year biotechnology student, have been suspended from the college based on findings of its internal anti-ragging committee. Police have, meanwhile, invoked Section 4 of the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998 against these students, after the college principal submitted a report to them.
The accused students are Alan, Anandan, Velu, Salman, Shravan, Pardhan and Immanuel, all final-year degree students.
First-year BSc biotechnology student Binz Jose, 19, hailing from Vattappara here, had filed the complaint last Tuesday, based on which Kazhakkoottam police booked the senior students under various Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections.
Ragging sparks political row
The senior students were booked under BNS sections 189(2) for unlawful assembly, 191(2) for rioting, 191(3) for riot carrying lethal weapons, 126(2) for wrongful restraint and 115(2) for voluntarily causing hurt.
The latest ragging incident came amidst a public outcry in the state over the physical assault on junior students by seniors at Kottayam govt nursing college.
The involvement of students linked to CPM’s student wing SFI in these incidents has also triggered a political row, with both Congress and BJP leaders demanding its disbandment.
Jose told television channels on Tuesday that he had lodged a complaint with police and college authorities on Feb 11, the day of the assault itself.
“The senior students accused me of not following their instructions; they attacked me on the campus with sticks and stones. Later, I was taken to the (SFI) unit room at the college and locked up.
My shirt was removed, and they made me kneel. When I asked for water to drink, one of the senior students spat into a half glass of water and gave it. They forced me to drink it,” he said.
He also alleged that the senior students threatened him with consequences if he told anyone about the incident.
