HC grants bail to the accused in Sidharthan’s death

Kochi: Kerala High Court has granted conditional bails to the 19 accused in connection with the death of JS Sidharthan, veterinary student,  who was alleged to have subjected to cruel ragging at the university hostel at Pookode. The bail was granted by the court rejecting the protest of the CBI. The accused are being charged with abetment of suicide, criminal conspiracy and provisions under Kerala prohibition of Ragging Act. While granting bail to the accused, the court has considered the age and education of the accused. 

 The court has asked the accused not to enter Wayanad district and not to leave the state  till the trial of the case is over. Meanwhile, Sidharthan’s mother, Sheeba Jayaprakash, who was impleaded in the case by the court, had demanded that the accused should not be given bail. 

CBI, which investigates the case, had filed the preliminary charge sheet in the court and the defendants argued that this was done in haste to prevent bail. 

Sidharthan’s parents have expressed despair and disappointment over HC verdict saying that, they thought the accused would never get bail. “When I heard about HC verdict, I felt the same pain as when I heard the news about my son’s death”, he said.  

“Right from the beginning, the investigation is being scuttled. The police too had played their part to destroy the evidence. It was only after this , the case was handed over to CBI. So, I have no idea about how much evidence was brought before the court. The investigation was going well in the beginning. But, as it started moving towards SFI leaders, it was being controlled from outside”, he said. 

 “It was the Home department which destroyed the evidence. SFI state secretary PM Arsho had led the attempts to destroy evidence. We are not going to sit idle as the accused have got bail. We will move court against HC verdict. The present investigation which is being carried out by CBI has been progressing well”, he said. 

 “I am very much disappointed over HC verdict”, said Sheeba, Sidharthan’s mother. “There is God, beyond court”, she said.  “They don’t deserve to get bail. Evidence were destroyed”, Sheeba said.

It was on February 18, 2024 that, JS Sidharthan, a veterinary student, was found dead by hanging inside the toilet of the hostel of Pookode Veterinary University. It was alleged that, he was subjected to brutal ragging and mob trial by senior students of the university.