Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Ramesh Chennithala has demanded the formation of a special investigation team (SIT), led by an officer in the rank of Inspector General, to probe the alleged murder of a student on the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University campus at Pookode in Wayanad.
Addressing the media here on Friday, he alleged that an attempt was being made by Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leaders to wipe out the case. He said the CPI(M) leaders, led by former MLA C.K. Saseendran, had threatened the DySP, who was investigating the case, and attempted to protect the suspects in police custody.
“Siddharth was pressured to join the Students Federation of India (SFI), but he was not interested in joining any political outfit. This was the reason he was murdered,” Mr. Chennithala said, adding that his family suspected that his body was hung in the room after strangling him to death.
Mr. Chennithala also accused the CPI(M) of training goons to reign campuses across State under the SFI banner.He alleged that the Station House Officer of Pookode police station was trying to sabotage the case by depicting it as a suicide, and the teachers in the university with left allegiance had supported the heinous act. “It was wrong on the part of Minister Chinchurani to support the Dean of the college who obviously had CPI ties,” Mr. Chennithala said. He would visit the college on Saturday at 9 a.m. and would take part in the Congress march at Pookode.
Mr. Chennithala also condemned the Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) for a situation that led to the cancellation of a rank list for Sub Inspector selection. “The explanation that it was a clerical error is not satisfactory. Those behind this incident need to be brought to justice,” he said, adding that the incident had diminished the credibility of the KPSC.
