Seven SFI Students Face Suspension Amid Ragging Allegations, Kerala Minister to Confer with Principals
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Synopsis
In a serious incident at the Government College Kariavattom, seven SFI students have been suspended due to ragging allegations. The case follows claims of physical abuse made by a first-year student, prompting police intervention and media coverage that led to swift action by the college administration.
Key Takeaways
- Seven SFI students suspended for ragging.
- First-year student reported severe mistreatment.
- Allegations led to police involvement.
- BJP announced anti-ragging cell establishment.
- Congress blames CPI(M) for supporting accused students.
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 18 (NationPress) Seven senior members of the Student's Federation of India (SFI) from the Government College Kariavattom have been suspended following allegations of ragging. A first-year student, Bins Jose, reported an incident where he was physically assaulted and forced to consume water that had been spat into by a senior student.
Jose recounted to the press that he was mistreated and instructed to kneel during the incident. “I was then taken to a different room where the abuse continued. I was coerced into filing a complaint claiming that a classmate assaulted me, which I refused. I was warned that serious consequences would follow if I reported the abuse,” stated Jose.
Afterward, Jose sought assistance from the local police, and his complaint was formally recorded. In response to media coverage, the college administration took action and suspended the seven students involved.
This incident comes on the heels of another case where five SFI students from the state-run Nursing College in Kottayam were arrested last week for the severe mistreatment of a junior student, with footage of the event emerging and shocking the public.
Additionally, the suspension of the seven SFI students coincides with the first anniversary of J.S. Sidharthan, a junior student who tragically died by suicide in the hostel washroom at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Wayanad.
In that case, 18 SFI students were apprehended and subsequently released on bail.
Following the Kottayam incident, the state unit of the BJP, led by president K. Surendran, announced plans to establish an anti-ragging cell in all 14 districts of Kerala to provide students with a platform to report such incidents. The first unit is now operational in Kottayam.
With SFI activists implicated in these multiple cases, the Congress-led UDF has voiced strong opposition, attributing blame to the CPI(M) and the Pinarayi Vijayan administration for shielding SFI students.
In light of this new case, State Higher Education Minister Dr. R. Bindhu has convened a meeting with all college principals to address the ragging crisis.
