Cruelty to Sidharthan was downplayed; accused shielded from law: Judicial Commission

The cruelty meted out to J S Sidharthan, the student of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode, who was found dead following the assault at the hands of his seniors, was not connected to student politics, the judicial commission noted in its report submitted to the governor on Wednesday.

However, political activism on the campus by one organisation with external support was a reason to downplay the gravity of the offence and to provide help to accused persons, the panel appointed by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to probe the death of Sidharthan noted.

"In the present case, the Commission does not find any reason to connect the incident of cruelty meted out to Sidharthan to student politics. Therefore the Commission does not find that political activity on the campus was the main reason for the unfortunate incident. Nonetheless, political activism on the campus, that too by one organisation with the strength of external support could be a reason to downplay the gravity of the offence and to provide help to the accused and shield them from the clutches of law, '' the report read.

While noting that there was a lack of trust and coordination between the VC, Dean and teachers, the Commission cited that defacing the walls of the hostel by writing obscenity and political slogans showed the lack of concern on the part of the warden to enforce discipline. The Commission has listed out lapses on the part of the VC, the Dean and the assistant warden in the report.

The report remarks that the Dean (warden) did not act prudently after the incident. ''Dean, being a surgeon, should have seen that the boy died by the time he reached the hostel because extremities of the body had turned bluish, the body was frigid and there was no pulse. These facts were noticed by the students before the warden's arrival. He should have waited for the law enforcing agency to act so that much of the criticism could have been avoided,'' the panel said in the report.

The assistant warden did not take any steps to inquire into the incident or take Sidharthan to hospital although evidence showed that the attack on Sidharthan during the night between February 16 -17 was communicated to him by students. The teachers failed to perform their duties as student advisors and most of them could not win the confidence of students. "It is evident from the fact that no student approached them for redressal of grievance, even in case of physical assault,'' the commission said.