Sidharthan's death: Kerala HC quashes KVASU's order expelling, debarring accused students
The court also permitted the students to continue their studies in Pookode campus of the university until the completion of the fresh inquiry.
The court also permitted the students to continue their studies in Pookode campus of the university until the completion of the fresh inquiry.
The court also permitted the students to continue their studies in Pookode campus of the university until the completion of the fresh inquiry.
Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Thursday quashed the order of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) expelling and debarring 19 students booked in the suicide of JS Sidharthan. The university had debarred the students from applying for admission to any other college for three years. The High Court also ordered the university to conduct a fresh inquiry after issuing a memo of charges to the students outlining the allegations against them in accordance with the principles of natural justice.
Sidharthan (20), a second-year student at the Pookode campus of the university, was found dead inside the bathroom of the men's hostel on February 18, 2024. The university took action against the 19 students after the anti-ragging squad found that they had attacked Sidharthan brutally on the campus. Police slapped several charges including abetment to suicide against these students. The autopsy report indicated that Sidharthan was abused and assaulted, and denied food for days in the hostel.
“Disposed of quashing the impugned orders, all the three reports to the extent it apply to the petitioners. The University is directed to conduct a fresh inquiry after furnishing memo of charges to the petitioners, specifying individual allegations against each of them and furnishing them the gist of statement of witnesses requiring the petitioners to submit written explanation for the same. However, statement of witnesses need not be recorded afresh and the gist of such statement regarding the involvement of petitioners shall be furnished to the petitioners without revealing the identity of the witnesses….petitioners shall be re-admitted to the college by permitting them to continue studies on the campus subject to final outcome of the inquiry… If the petitioners are found guilty, the period of punishment that they have already undergone will have to be adjusted against the penalty to be imposed. Inquiry shall be completed within four months,” said the court.
In the order issued on Thursday, the court also permitted the students to continue their studies in Pookode campus of the university until the completion of the fresh inquiry.
In the petition before the court, the accused claimed that the university's anti-ragging squad conducted the probe without following the UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009. The committee allegedly neither recorded the students' statements nor gave them an opportunity to defend themselves.
(With Live Law inputs)