Kochi: The Kerala High Court’s division bench on Wednesday stayed an earlier order by a single judge that permitted the re-admission of 18 students from the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, who were implicated in the ragging-related death of junior student J S Sidharthan.

Sidharthan was found dead in a hostel washroom on February 18, 2024, with initial reports suggesting he had taken his own life. The incident soon escalated into a controversy, with allegations surfacing that he was a victim of severe ragging and physical assault by a group of seniors and classmates.

Following this, 18 students were arrested and faced institutional action, including expulsion. After serving some time in jail, they were granted bail. In December 2024, a single bench of the High Court overturned their expulsion, directing the university to conduct a fresh disciplinary inquiry while permitting the students to seek re-admission.

However, Sidharthan’s mother challenged this order, filing a writ appeal before the division bench of Justices Amit Rawal and K V Jayakumar. The bench allowed her plea and ruled that she must be heard during the university’s disciplinary proceedings.

Staying the single judge’s decision to reinstate the students, the division bench strongly condemned ragging, stating that those engaging in such acts were “worse than vandals”.

The petitioner argued that the single judge erred in showing leniency by granting re-admission—an act that was not even sought in the original writ petition.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the case, has identified 19 individuals as accused, stating that they were involved in serious criminal offences.

The High Court has now scheduled the next hearing on the matter for March 4, 2025.

IANS