Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has written to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan demanding an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the death of Sidharthan J.S., a second-year student of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Pookode in Wayanad district. Mr. Satheesan said that brutality of the crime had shook Kerala’s conscience and had created fear and concern among parents.
In the letter, he said that Sidharthan’s parents had alleged that he was stripped naked, subjected to a mob trial for days, and hanged to death. It was a matter of serious concern that the faculty, including the Dean, were complicit in the brutality. Even as Sidharthan’s parents had reiterated that the Students Federation of India (SFI) leaders of the campus were responsible for his death, the investigating officer claimed that there was no political motive to the incident, he said.
Lapses in police probe
“Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leaders in the district are trying to protect the accused by threatening the investigating officers. The post-mortem examination report is proof of the brutal beating and brutality that Siddharth faced. Despite evidence of brutal torture on Sidharthan’s body, there was a serious lapse in the police investigation. The police first tried to save the accused. An honest investigation cannot be expected in such a scenario,” said Mr. Satheesan.
He said that the investigation should be handed over to the CBI to uncover the conspiracy behind the student’s death and to ensure that such incidents were not repeated in the State.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, MLA, sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the death of Sidharthan.
