Another accused in Kerala veterinary student death case nabbed by police in Palakkad

The death of 20-year-old Siddharthan on 18 February has stirred up the political waters in the state with the Congress and then the BJP blaming the ruling CPI(M)’s student wing SFI for beating the young man to death.

The Students Federation of India (SFI) has denied the allegations.

Also Read: Veterinary university student’s death stirs Kerala political waters

Government to take strict action

Meanwhile, state Law Minister P Rajeev today said the government will take strict action irrespective of which organisation the accused belong to.

Siddharthan, a second year Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry student, was found hanging in his hostel’s bathroom on February 18.

Later, his parents claimed that some of his college mates told them that he was beaten to death by some local SFI leaders and activists.

The student’s father contended that according to the postmortem report his son’s body had three days’ worth of injuries and an empty stomach, which indicated that he was brutally beaten up and not given any food.

Following the claims made by the parents of the student, the Congress and then the BJP alleged that the SFI had beaten him to death.

Based on the parents’ claims, the police, which had initially registered a case of unnatural death, booked 12 students for various offences, including abetment of suicide, wrongful restraint and voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means, under the IPC and the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act.

Later, the number of accused increased to 18.

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