A forensic team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the death of Sidharthan J.S., a second year student of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode, Wayanad, visited the college on Saturday as a part of collecting scientific evidence.
The student was found dead in a washroom at the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) in February.
The CBI team began the probe a week ago after Sidharthan’s parents alleged that he had endured nearly 29 hours of relentless assault by his seniors and classmates before he took his own life.
The Central government had issued a notification for a CBI probe into the student’s death following a Kerala High Court order seeking the immediate intervention of the government in the matter.
The CBI filed a first information report (FIR) against 20 individuals, invoking charges of criminal conspiracy and abetment to suicide, alongside provisions of the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act.
The 10-member team led by CBI Deputy Inspector General Lovely Kattiyar and experts of the police forensic unit reached the men’s hostel of the varsity around 9.30 a.m. on the day. They inspected Sidharthan’s room, the washroom where he was found dead, and other locations on the campus, where the student was reportedly bullied and tortured.
The team directed the students who had seen the body in the washroom to appear before it in the coming days. It would also collect evidence from the former dean and assistant warden of the hostel.
CBI Superintendents A.K. Upadhyaya and Sundervel and Kalpetta Deputy Superintendent of Police N.K. Sajeevan, who had investigated the case earlier, also accompanied the team.
