Seven senior students from the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) at Government College Kariavattom have been suspended following a ragging complaint.
The incident was reported by Bins Jose, a first-year graduate student.
Jose said he was beaten and forced to drink water that a senior student had spat into when he asked for a glass of water. He was also ordered to kneel as part of the ragging. Later, he was taken to a room where the abuse continued. The seniors tried to force him into filing a false complaint, asking him to say that he was beaten by a classmate. Jose refused and was threatened with serious consequences if he reported the incident.
Also read: Kerala college ragging case: Principal, assistant professor suspended
After the torment, Jose went to the local police, who registered his complaint. Following media coverage, the college authorities acted swiftly and suspended the seven students involved. This comes after another shocking ragging case. Five SFI-affiliated students from the state-run Nursing College in Kottayam were arrested last week for torturing a junior student. A video of the incident went viral, raising alarm about ragging in the state.
The suspension of the seven SFI students in Kariavattom coincides with the first death anniversary of JS Sidharthan, a junior student at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Wayanad. Sidharthan was found dead in his hostel washroom. In that case, 18 SFI students were arrested and are now out on bail.
In response to the recent incidents, the Bharatiya Janata Party, led by president K Surendran, has announced plans to set up an anti-ragging cell in all 14 districts of Kerala. The first unit is already operating in Kottayam. The Congress-led UDF has criticised the CPI(M) and the Pinarayi Vijayan government for allegedly backing the SFI students involved.
To address the issue of ragging, State Higher Education Minister Dr R Bindhu has called for a meeting with college principals.
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