THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid a nationwide outrage over brutal ragging at Kottayam govt nursing college, Kariavattom Govt College in Thiruvananthapuram has suspended seven final-year degree students accused of assaulting and torturing a first-year biotechnology student, based on findings of the institute’s anti-ragging committee.
The 19-year-old BSc first-year student, Binz Jose from Vattappara, had lodged a complaint with police and college authorities on Feb 11.
While the college instituted an internal inquiry, cops booked the seven accused for unlawful assembly, rioting, wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt and possessing lethal weapons under sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police have now also invoked section 4 of Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998, against these students, after the college principal submitted a report to them.
The accused students were identified as Alan, Anandan, Velu, Salman, Shravan, Pardhan and Immanuel.
The latest case comes amid a public outcry over the brutal torture of junior students at the Kottayam nursing college and a few other similar instances.
The involvement of students linked to CPM’s student wing SFI in such cases has triggered a political row, with both Congress and BJP representatives demanding that the outfit be disbanded.
Jose told television channels on Tuesday that he had lodged a complaint with police and college authorities on the day of the assault itself. He also alleged that the accused students had threatened him with consequences if he told anyone about the assault.
