- By Deeksha Gour
- Fri, 14 Feb 2025 11:17 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Kerala News: Kannur police have registered a case against five Class 12 students for allegedly assaulting a junior student at a higher secondary school. The incident, which reportedly occurred on February 12, was linked to the victim’s alleged failure to show “respect” to his seniors.
Kolavallur Police confirmed that all five accused students are above 18 years of age. A case has been filed against them for unlawful restraint and causing hurt, with three of them already identified. Officials stated that further charges under Sections 3 and 4 of the Kerala Anti-Ragging Act would be added once the school submits its report.
According to the FIR, the victim was allegedly cornered in the school canteen, where he was kicked and assaulted, resulting in a fractured hand and other injuries. The school principal confirmed that the accused students had been suspended. “The anti-ragging committee reviewed CCTV footage and is preparing a report to submit to the police,” she stated.
The case comes shortly after another ragging incident at a government nursing college in Kottayam, where five students were arrested for allegedly assaulting and extorting a first-year student. The controversy deepened on Friday when Congress legislator and Opposition Leader V D Satheesan alleged that the accused in the Kottayam case were linked to the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Satheesan also linked the incident to last year’s death of Sidharthan, a veterinary student in Wayanad, claiming that the accused in both cases were involved in brutal violence. “One of the accused is the state general secretary of the Kerala Government Nursing Students Association, which is affiliated with SFI. The organisation should be disbanded. These students are harassing juniors for money to procure drugs and liquor,” he alleged.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George assured strict action against the accused in the Kottayam case. She confirmed that authorities were considering expelling the suspended students. “The medical education director is investigating the case, and the role of hostel authorities will also be examined to understand how such activities went unnoticed,” she said.
