Jishnu death case: Family ends indefinite fast after CM assures action

Thiruvananthapuram: The family of engineering student Jishnu Pranoy, who had allegedly committed suicide, ended their indefinite fast on Sunday night after chief minister assured them that all the accused in the incident will be brought to book.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called Mahija, mother of Jishnu, over phone and assured her that steps would be taken to book all the accused in the case.

Jishnu's uncle Sreejith, while announcing the decision to the end the fast, said that government has accepted all their demands.

The decision of the family to end their five-day-old fast also comes on a day N K Sakthivel, Vice Principal of Nehru College of Engineering in Thrissur, an accused in the case, was arrested from Annoor, near Coimbatore.

Jishnu, a first year student of the college, was found hanging in the college hostel in January last.

A team comprising Special Prosecutor C P Udaybhanu had earlier in the day held discussions on behalf of Government with Mahija and Ashokan, parents of Jishnu, to end the fast.

Mahija and her brother were admitted to the Trivandrum Medical College Hospital on April 5, after they complained of uneasiness and body pain following the "high-handedness" by police against them while attempting to stage an agitation before the DGP's office here, demanding justice for her son.

Mahija's 15-year-old daughter Avishna, who was on a fast since the last four days at her residence at Nadapuram in Kozhikode district, also ended her stir following an agreement reached with the government, Sreejith said.

Sakthivel was arrested after the government formed a special investigation team and announced Rs one lakh reward to persons giving information on the absconding accused in the case.

Nehru Group of Institutions chairman P K Krishnadas and Sajith, son of former state minister K P Viswanathan, have been already arrested.

Two more accused are to be nabbed.

The issue had rocked the state since April 5 after police "forcefully" prevented Mahija and other relatives from staging a dharna before the DGP's office here.

The police action had come in for criticism from various quarters with opposition Congress and BJP observing a hartal on April 6.

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury had also spoken to the family early in the day and asked them to call off the hunger strike.

The Chief Minister today said the government and police were doing everything they can do to ensure that justice was delivered to the grieving family.

"Government will take all steps to get justice for the family", Vijayan said at Irinjalakuda in Thrissur district.

Government had also accused the opposition Congress and BJP of trying to take political mileage out of the situation.