Kochi, Dec 5 The Kerala High Court on Thursday quashed the order expelling the college students implicated as accused in the suicide of a second-year Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry student at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Pookode in Wayanad district, and directed a fresh probe.
J.C. Sidharthan's body was found in the hostel toilet on February 18 this year and it was alleged that he committed suicide.
Later when it became a big issue, it was alleged he was a victim of ragging and was allegedly assaulted by some of his classmates and seniors. As many as 18 students were arrested in the case and faced action including expulsion from the institute.
A bench of Justice Ziyad Rahman A.A. ordered the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University to conduct a fresh enquiry after giving the students a memo of charges outlining the specific allegations against them, in accordance with the principles of natural justice.
The court has also permitted the students to continue their studies in the college, subject to the final outcome of the fresh enquiry to be conducted.
"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 enquiry after furnishing a memo of charges to the petitioners, specifying individual allegations against each of them and furnishing them the gist of the statement of witnesses requiring the petitioners to submit a written explanation for the same. However, the 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 the final outcome of the enquiry… 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. The enquiry shall be completed within four months," the court ordered.
At present, all the accused students, after being in jail for a while, are now out on bail.
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