[Veterinary Student Death] 'Ragging Worse Than Vandalism': Kerala High Court Stays Re-admission Of Accused Students At Mannuthy Campus

The Division Bench of the Kerala High Court has stayed the order of the single judge which allowed the re-admission of eighteen students at the College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences at Mannuthy who were implicated as accused in the suicide of Sidharthan J S.Sidharthan allegedly died by suicide on February 18, 2024, due to ragging and brutal assault at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Pookode in Wayanad. In December 2024, a single bench had quashed the order expelling the accused students and allowed them to take re-admission at the Mannuthy campus. The single bench also directed fresh disciplinary enquiry against the accused.Aggrieved by the order of the single judge, the mother of Sidharthan filed a writ appeal before the division bench. Since she was not a party in the writ petition, she sought leave to file a third-party appeal.The Division Bench of Justice Amit Rawal and Justice K.V. Jayakumar granted her leave to appeal. The Division Bench also stated that the mother should also be given a hearing opportunity while the fresh disciplinary enquiry is being conducted by the University. The Court while staying the order of the single judge permitting the re-admission of the students at the campus in Mannuthy orally observed in Court today, “students indulging in ragging are worse than those indulging in vandalism” Writ PetitionThe writ petition was filed by the accused students challenging the disciplinary proceedings and penalty of expulsion imposed upon them. . In the judgement passed in the writ petition, the single judge had quashed the order expelling the students accused of abetting Sidharthan's suicide. The single judge had also quashed the order debarring the students from taking admission to any other college for three years. It had also quashed final report of the Anti-Ragging Squad. It had also ordered the Kerala Veterinary And Animal Sciences University to conduct a fresh enquiry after giving the students memo of charges outlining the specific allegations against them, in accordance with the principles of natural justice. The Court has also permitted the students to continue their studies in the college, subject to the final outcome of the fresh enquiry to be conducted against them. Writ Appeal By Sidharthan's MotherThe appellant-mother argued that the single judge should not have permitted the students to take admission in the Mannuthy campus by showing leniency since such a relief was not even sought in the writ petition. BackgroundSidharthan was a second-year Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry student at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode in Wayanad who allegedly committed suicide on February 18, 2024. It was alleged that this was because of ragging and brutal assault by some of his classmates and seniors. Crime was registered against eighteen persons under Sections 341, 323, 324, 342, and 306 read with Section 34 of the IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998. The investigation was taken over by the CBI and they filed a final report stating that 19 accused persons had committed offences punishable under Section 120B, 341, 323, 324, 355, 306, 506 of IPC and under Sections 4 and 3 of the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998 and substantive offences thereof. The High Court had earlier granted bail to the students who were accused of abetting Sidharthan's suicide.The matter has been posted to March 04, for further consideration Senior Advocate George Poonthottam, Advocates Nisha George, Kavya Varma M M represented Siddharthan's mother in the writ appeal.Case Title: Sheeba M R v Kerala Veterinary And Animal Sciences UniversityCase No: WA 272/ 2025

[Veterinary Student Death] 'Ragging Worse Than Vandalism': Kerala High Court Stays Re-admission Of Accused Students At Mannuthy Campus

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