Kerala High Court Orders Compensation in Student Ragging Death Case

The Kerala High Court has ordered the state government to deposit a compensation amount of Rs 7 lakh, as mandated by the State Human Rights Commission, into the court registry. This sum is intended for the family of Sidharthan J S, a student who tragically passed away in what was an alleged incident of ragging.

The court's directive comes in response to a plea from the government, which challenged the commission's recommendation of compensation linked to the death of Sidharthan, a student at Pookode Veterinary College. The court has mandated that the deposit be made within a 10-day timeframe.

Additionally, the high court questioned the lateness of the government's petition against the order, demanding a detailed affidavit explaining the rationale behind this delay. The police had noted that Sidharthan, aged 20, was discovered hanging in the college hostel bathroom, with suspicions of ragging by fellow students, including alleged involvement of the CPI(M)'s students' wing, SFI.

(With inputs from agencies.)