Sradha’s family said it did not want to hinder academic activities, but alleged that the college authorities removed a "real suicide note".
An action Counsil formed seeking Justice for Sradha holds a demonstration at Thrippunnithura, Kochi.
Following a petition filed by the management of the Amal Jyothi College, the Kerala High Court on Friday, 9 June, directed the police to provide adequate protection to the management personnel, staff, and others at the educational institution in the Kanjirappilly taluk of the Kottayam district in the state.
The college has been at the centre of a storm following the death of Sradha Satheesh, a second-year student of Food Technology who was found unresponsive in the hostel on the college campus on 2 June.
The death led to outrage among the students, who partook in massive protests, even as students’ wings of mainstream political organisations also agitated, seeking justice for Sradha.
Meanwhile, Sradha’s family told South First that it was not their intention to hinder the academic activities of the college, but expressed dissatisfaction over the probe.
Sradha’s uncle Nandan said an action council had been formed to seek justice for Sradha.
The Kerala High Court directed the police to provide adequate protection to the management personnel, staff, and others in the Amal Jyothi Engineering College.
Justice N Nagaresh, while granting interim protection, observed, “Since it is admission time, if ingress and egress to the college are obstructed, it will affect the functioning of the college.”
The government pleader informed the court that the state had deployed police personnel in the college for the protection of the college staff.
In the petition the college authorities filed in the high court, they stated that several persons belonging to student political organisations — such as the Students Federation of India (SFI), Kerala Students Union (KSU), Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) — gathered at the main gate of the campus on Tuesday and shouted abusive slogans.
On Friday, Kottayam Superintendent of Police (SP) K Karthik told reporters: “In this case, it is difficult to give an opinion at this stage. A new investigation team has been probing the case since Thursday. Normally, when a CrPC Section 174 case is registered, we take all kinds of evidence from the location whether it be details from the mobile or other articles seized from the room will be presented before the court.”
He added: “A note was retrieved from the scene. Who wrote it or why it was written has not been ascertained at this stage.”
Crime Branch DySP Varghese TM has been given the charge to lead the investigation.
When South First contacted Varghese, he talked about his other commitments and requested a callback at a later time. However, subsequent calls to him went unanswered.
Karthik also said that the new investigating team was speaking to Sradha’s friends to ascertain the details of the case, and the findings would be presented in court once the investigation was completed.
The police earlier registered four cases against the protesting students of the Amal Jyothi College.
Speaking about the cases against the students, Karthik said a decision was taken during a high-level meeting with Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu that there would be no action by the police against the students of the college.
He clarified that the cases were registered prior to the meeting, and no student’s name had been included in the case.
“We don’t have any interest in hindering the academics of studies as they are students who are like Sradha… Let the college reopen, and the investigation run its courts, but we have no belief in the way the probe is progressing,” said Sradha’s uncle Nandan.
Speaking to South First earlier, Nandan termed the police investigation a “farce” and said it was being conducted to only facilitate the smooth admission process for the upcoming academic year.
“My girl had written a note on 15 October, 2022, telling her friend that she was leaving for home and her black pants were kept on the table. Now the police are considering it a suicide note. Even the SP has been made to believe the story. Luckily, we have evidence from various sources that prove otherwise.” Nandan told South First.
“We believe the real suicide note is in the college and that it was removed from the scene by the college authorities,” he alleged.
Hundreds joined a candlelight procession on Friday offering homage to Sradha Satheesh. (Supplied)
He said the police were yet to contact Sradha’s family after the investigation was taken over by the crime branch.
“A police officer who spoke to us said there were no CCTV cameras in the hostel or in the HoD’s cabin,” he said.
But Sradha’s father said there are CCTV cameras at the entrance of the college hostel, he added.
Nandan said the family had formed an action seeking “justice for Sradha”, and the council members — including legal experts — would hold a meeting on Sunday to consider whether they should file a separate case in court.
The admission procedures and regular classes of Amal Jyothi Engineering College are scheduled to restart on 12 June.
May 05, 2024
May 05, 2024
May 05, 2024
May 05, 2024
May 04, 2024
May 04, 2024
