CET incident: Police record statements

CET incident: Police record statements
Saturday February 2 2008 09:28 IST

SHANGUMUGHAM Assistant Commissioner (AC) P. Reghunath has started a probe into the alleged manhandling of a fourth-semester student of the College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram (CET) by senior students.

A team led by the AC inspected the room in the college where fourth-semester student Arjun was locked-up and harassed for four days from January 16. He also recorded the statement of the victim and the others concerned.

The police are of the view that since the victim was a fourth-semester student, the incident could not be considered as ragging, but only as atrocity. Meanwhile, the victim who was admitted to the Medical College Hospital here told reporters that there was negligence on the part of the police in probing the case. He alleged that he was assaulted by final year students and SFI activists Nikhil Nambiar, Jith James and Jithu D.

The victim’s parents have also approached the State Human Rights Commission. The All-India Democratic Students’ Organisation has also alleged that the police and the authorities concerned were trying to protect the accused SFI activists.

In another development, SFI activists staged a dharna at the college demanding action against Arjun in the wake of the complaints by first-semester students that Arjun had ragged them. The enquiry commission appointed by the college is yet to complete the probe.