M K Narayanan, Dean of the College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences at Pookode, was on Tuesday suspended in connection with the death of a Veterinary University student that has rocked Kerala due to the alleged role of workers of the ruling CPI(M)’s student outfit SFI. Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Vice Chancellor P C Saseendran also suspended R Kanthanadhan, who was holding the charge of Assistant Warden, in connection with the death of Sidharthan J S.

In a statement, the Vice Chancellor said the university would provide all sorts of assistance to the government and judicial agencies to find out the truth about the incident and ensure punishment for those involved in the crime. Earlier, the university served show-cause notices on the Dean and the Assistant Warden regarding Sidharthan’s death.

Narayanan had refuted allegations suggesting that he neglected to inform Sidharthan’s parents about his demise. He also told the media that he had asked Sidharthan’s friends to communicate the news to the family.

The authorities had earlier suspended 19 students of the veterinary college after the preliminary inquiry conducted by the anti-ragging committee found them involved in committing alleged atrocities against the victim. Last week, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, as Chancellor of Universities in the state, had suspended the Vice Chancellor M R Saseendranath of the university in connection with death of Sidharthan.

Khan, in the order of suspension, had said that a report given by Saseendranath about the incident was “a testimony to the gross dereliction of duty on the part of the Vice Chancellor” during the developments that led to the death of 20-year-old Sidharthan on February 18. Police had arrested all 18 accused in the case pertaining to Sidharthan, who was found hanging inside the bathroom of the college hostel.

Police have charged the accused under sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon), 306 (Abetment of suicide), of the Indian Penal Code, and relevant sections of the Kerala Prohibition Of Ragging Act. According to police, Sidharthan’s classmates and seniors held a public trial inside the hostel alleging that he had misbehaved with a girl student of the college.

Sidharthan was a second-year Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry student. His parents have claimed that some of his college mates told them that he was beaten to death by some local SFI leaders and activists. The father contended that according to the postmortem report, his son’s body had injuries and an empty stomach, indicating that he was brutally beaten up and not given any food.

Following the parents’ claims, the political waters in the state were stirred as the Congress and the BJP accused the ruling CPI(M)’s student wing SFI of beating Sidharthan to death. The Students Federation of India (SFI) has denied the allegations.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)