Even as the students of Amal Jyothi College, Kanjirappally, suspended their agitation on an intervention by the State government, the controversy over the suicide of Shraddha Satheesh continued to rage further on Thursday.
A day after the State government announced a Crime Branch probe into the death, the police confirmed the recovery of a suicide note left by the victim. “The note, however, does not specify any reasons for her taking the extreme step. The cell phone and laptop used by the victim have been sent for a forensic examination,” said K. Karthik, District Police Chief, Kottayam.
As to the criticisms on the delay in interrogating the college staff accused of abetting the suicide, the official clarified that it would be carried out in due course of the probe.
The statement, however, has left family members of the victim red-faced, who accused the police of taking a message posted by the victim earlier on her social media page out of context and describing it as a suicide note. Taking a strong exception to the State government’s decision not to invite the aggrieved family members of Shraddha to the discussions held in connection with the protests, they said the investigation team too appeared not willing to contact the family.
Addressing the media at Kochi on Thursday, they also spoke of the plans to approach the court against an alleged move by the police to treat Shraddha’s death as a mere suicide and thereby save the college management.
Both the family as well fellow students of Shraddha allege that the 20-year-old, a second year food technology student here, took the extreme step after teachers seized her mobile phone which she had used in the laboratory and harassed her. The students also accused the hostel warden of attempting to cover up the suicide attempt from the doctors who had attended her at a hospital nearby.
The college management, meanwhile, has approached the Kerala High Court seeking police protection for the educational institution in view of the recurring protests by the students and various student organisations.
