19 accused in vet student's death case granted bail

KOCHI: The high court has granted bail to all 19 accused in the case related to the death of J S Sidharthan, a student at Pookode Veterinary and Animal Sciences College.
The bench of Justice C S Dias granted bail, considering the fact that the investigation was completed, and the final report had been filed before the jurisdictional court. The petitioners had been in judicial custody for more than 90 days, had no criminal antecedents, and were all students aged 22 to 24 years.Once the final report was filed, a strong case had to be made for continuing a person in judicial custody. The right to bail could not be denied merely due to societal sentiments, the bench said.
Sidharthan was found dead in his college hostel on Feb 18. The chargesheet filed by the CBI revealed that he was brutally assaulted after being stripped and subjected to a public trial in the courtyard of the men's hostel before his death. The Vythiri police had registered a case for committing offences such as abetment of suicide, criminal conspiracy etc against the 19 accused. Later, the investigation was entrusted to the CBI.
The single bench said that prima facie there was not sufficient material to establish any positive act on the part of the accused that instigated or aided the deceased to commit suicide. The genesis of the incident was the deceased's misbehaviour towards a female classmate. She complained about the incident to one accused, who then informed four others. Records showed that she had submitted a complaint to the internal complaints committee of the college, and an inquiry was initiated. However, due to the accused's death, the complaint was closed.
The bench also noted that the accused called Sidharthan back to the college on Feb 15 while he was on his way home and brutally harassed and assaulted him by questioning his misbehaviour. Subsequently, they humiliated him in the presence of hostel inmates and threatened to socially isolate him. Sidharthan spent the whole day secluded in Room No 5 on Feb 17, and the next day, at 12.30pm, he went to the bathroom and hanged himself.
Sheeba Jayaprakash, the mother of Sidharthan was also impleaded in the bail plea and opposed the same.