The Vythiri police arrested three more accused on Friday in connection with the death of J.S. Siddharth, a junior veterinary student of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode, in Wayanad.
The arrested were identified as K. Arun, 24, of Keloth at Kaniyaram, near Mananthavady; Amal Ishan, 23, of Club Kunnu, Mananthavady; and Asif Khan, 23, of Azeef Manzil, Varkala, Kollam.
Another accused, Ameen Akbar Ali, 25, of Nellikuth at Manjeri in Malappuram, surrendered before a local court in Malappuram in the evening.
Arun was the college union president, Amal Ishan was the Students Federation of India unit secretary and Asif Khan was a college union member.
Arun and Amal Ishan surrendered before the police on Thursday night and Asif Khan was arrested from Kollam. The police have arrested 10 of the 18 accused in connection with the incident and seven of them are absconding.
Meanwhile, the Youth Congress district committee took out a march to the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University headquarters at Pookode on Friday raising a slew of demands, including the arrest of all accused in connection with the death of Siddharth. They also demanded legal action against university officials who they alleged had tried to cover up the incident.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha State president C.R. Praphul Krishnan urged the government to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation as there was likelihood of the the police investigation being sabotaged by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He also demanded that a case be registered against the college dean, whom he accused of trying to cover up the incident.
Debarred
Meanwhile, a meeting of the anti-ragging cell of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode, on Friday decided to debar the accused in connection with the death of J.S. Siddharth, a junior veterinary student of the college.
The anti-ragging squad of the college found in its investigation that as many as 31 students were involved in the ragging. The accused were identified after the squad collected evidence from teachers and students of the college. As many as 19 of them were debarred for three years and the remaining 12 were debarred for a year of academic activities based on the gravity of their crimes. These students cannot continue their studies in educational institutions recognised by the government during the period, the varsity authorities said.
