'Should apologize to Siddharth's parents'; Ramesh Chennithala slams CM Pinarayi Vijayan in open letter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala in an open letter demanded Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's apologies to the family of Siddharthan, a victim of ragging in Pookode University. In the letter, Chennithala blamed the government's action of protecting SFI goons in Pookode as having paved the way for similar incidents all across Kerala including in Kottayam Nursing College.

Few parts from open letter:

I am writing this letter to you with great sadness and pain. On this same day last year, JS Siddharthan, son of Nedumangad natives Jayaprakash and Sheeba, was found hanging dead in the men's hostel washroom after being brutally beaten up by more than 20 SFI goons of Wayanad Pookode Veterinary University.

How can the victims get justice when the college authorities support ragging? Siddharth's mother Sheeba confessed that no students or friends of Siddharthan gave statements against the culprits, only for fear of them. An investigation by the Anti-Ragging Squad found that on the night between 16.02.2024 and 17.02.2024, Siddharth was subjected to 'brutal physical assault and public trial' by his fellow students and senior students.

The CBI report also mentioned the torture as unprecedented. All these factors even evoke doubt about Siddharth’s death. Such devious culprits would even go as far as murder. Didn't the government under your leadership create every opportunity to help the SFI goons in the college?

Since all the accused are SFI leaders, it is almost certain that malice was at play from the police force. Weak arguments led the court to wrongly believe that the accused's attempt was not to push Siddharth to commit suicide but to make him better. Was it not yet another example of your government protecting these accused and not filing an appeal against the bail order?

Isn't the fact that the government did not appeal against the High Court judgment that provided study facilities to these goons on the Mannuthy campus? If you have even an iota of humanity left, CM should offer an unconditional apology to the parents of Siddharth."