The suicide of an 18-year old student on Friday, following the harrasements by the college authorities, has created a wide spread outrage in Kerala.
On Friday evening, Jishnu Pranoy, a first year student of Nehru College of Engineering and Research in Thrissur, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in the college hostel bathroom. The student committed suicide after he was harassed by the college authorities over the allegation of cheating during a semester examination.
“The invigilator claimed that Jishnu was copying from another student but he kept saying he is innocent. College authorities threatened to debar him from writing any exams for three years and made him cross out his entire answer sheet,” NDTV quoted Jishnu’s friend as saying.
Later, on finding Jishnu absent for the 6.45 pm hostel roll call, his friends went searching for him and found him hanging in the bathroom.
Following Jishnu’s death, many students have been raising allegations about the college authorities.
Social media have been flooded with the Nehru college students statement highlighting the right violations and strict rules asserted by the college authorities.
Students alleged that PRO of the college, who misbehaved with girls in the past, was also involved in the institutional murder of Jishnu.
Jishnu’s family member alleged that he was brutally tortured by the college management. Citing the injury marks in the student’s body and blood clots on nose and legs, Jishnu’s uncle told media that he was physically and mentally tortured by the college authorities.
However, college principal denied the allegations and said that Jishnu was given a warning not to cheat during exam and that other allegations against the college were baseless.
Meanwhile, the student protest march held in the college premises on Monday turning have turned violent. Agitating students, belonging to various outfits, broke police barricades and vandalised the college office.
Following Jishnu’s death, many students shared their experience of harassment by private college managements. Reports have talked of torture rooms, CCTV surveillance and management sponsored ragging on such campuses.
