‘Resident tutor has to stay in the hostel’; student called Siddharth’s uncle as per my instruction, says Dean M K Narayanan

WAYANAD: M K Narayanan, dean of Pookode Veterinary College said that it is the resident tutor, who has to stay in the hostel. He said this while reacting to the suicide of J S Siddharth, a second-year student of the college. Dean said that it is not the warden who has to stay in the hostel.

Narayanan said the warden is not someone who interferes in the day-to-day affairs of the hostel and that he had taken all necessary steps from his side.

‘No problems had occurred in the hostel earlier. There was no security issue. Siddharth committed suicide on February 18. The assistant warden had taken the students to the face-to-face program of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on that day. Came to know about the suicide attempt when the assistant warden called from Kozhikode. Reached there in ten minutes. The students informed the police and the ambulance and were waiting for them. They said they entered the room after breaking open the door. As soon as the ambulance arrived, the student was taken to the hospital, thinking that if he was alive, should be saved.

There are around 120 students in the hostel and none of them said anything about it. The resident tutor should stay in the hostel. The job of the dean is not to go to the hostel every day and do the security service. Every effort was taken to save his life. No one told me about the harassment. I followed the ambulance to the hospital in a student’s car. The death was confirmed on reaching Vythiri Taluk Hospital. The relatives were informed within ten minutes of confirming death. Krishnakanth, a student had called Siddharth's uncle as per my instruction.

Krishnakanth knew his uncle when he came for Siddharth's admission. A student named Sajin Muhammad met with an accident earlier and was in the ICU. I immediately called the student’s relatives and asked them to come to MIMS Hospital. The student died when they were halfway. I informed them about the death. After dropping his mother at their relative's house, the others including his father continued journey. However, his mother ended her life by jumping into the well of the house. I have that experience. That is why Krishnakanth was asked to inform Siddharth’s family members and there are no lapses. This is how death is informed. This is a matter of human consideration. Should not insist that Dean has to do all this,’ responded Dean.