Thrissur: Mr P. Krishnadas, chairman of the Nehru Group of Institutions, and four other officials of the college were arrested on Monday based on a complaint filed by a former law student of Nehru College of Law. The student, Shaheer Showkat Ali, who was a second-year law student, had alleged that the chairman had assaulted him for complaining about collecting unnecessary fees from the students. A team led by Thrissur Rural SP N. Vijayakumar arrested the five and questioned them for nearly seven hours at Erumapetty police station here. The other arrested are legal adviser of the college Sujithra, physical education instructor Govindankutty, administrative manager Sukumaran and PRO Valsakumar.
The police picked up Krishnadas from P.K. Das Institute of Medical Science at Vaniyamkulam in Palakkad. It may be recalled that Jishnu Pranoy, a student of Nehru College of Engineering, had committed suicide on January 6 following the torture by the college authorities. Ali, who discontinued the course, was assaulted three days before Jishnu was subjected to torture. Ali had filed a complaint with the state government as part of the ‘Sutharya Keralam Project’ over the college exploiting the students by collecting fees under the head of ‘special’ fee.
He told mediapersons on Monday that he was forcibly taken to the ‘torture room’ of Pampady college from Lakkidi and that Krishnadas hit him on his forehead, stomach and later stamped him after pulling him down on the ground. The college authorities also threatened to finish him off. As he feared for his life at the ‘torture room,’he finally agreed to write a letter admitting that he was involved in the ragging incident at the college. Non-bailable charges, including abduction, physical and mental torture, detention, threats among others have been slapped on the arrested. Police sources said that the accused would be produced at the residence of Wadakkanchery magistrate and would be remanded in judicial custody.
