Kochi: Mystery has deepened over the Udayamperoor incident in which Jishnu, 16, Plus-One student of SNDP HSS, was allegedly beaten up by members of the drug mafia on October 15 for informing the principal about the sale of tobacco products from the nearby shop to the students.
The police are now trying to wind up the case saying that it was a figment of imagination of the child and that no such attack had actually taken place. Interestingly, the parents of Jishnu are agreeing to the theory amid allegations that there is pressure on the police to hush up the case, who in turn exerted pressure on Jishnu’s family to agree to their version.
Kochi City Police Commissioner K.G. James, who had taken over the probe from the local police on the orders of the Home Minister, said on Saturday that the probe revealed that student’s version was fabricated and that it was the result of a conflict between the student groups. “We’ve questioned the child in front of the parents and the contradictory version was clear. Finally, they gave us a statement in writing that the involvement of drug mafia is fabricated,” Mr James said.
The officer said that the school authorities were trying to create a false version so as to cover up the differences among students.
However, principal E.G. Babu said it was dismaying to know that the whole incident was a creation of the imagination of the student. “How can a 16-year-old stand the questioning by police officials and also the teachers of the school and others on the issue for so many days and conceal the truth. If it was acting by the student, he would have been forced to reveal the truth within 24 hours. Then there are several teachers and other staff members of the school who spotted Jishnu in a bad condition at the spot from where he was taken to the hospital. The new theory of the whole episode being a figment of his imagination challenges the vision and the basic intelligence of these people,” said Mr Babu.
However, according to Jishnu’s father Sumesh, who is the collection agent of Kerala Vision, a cable television company in Udayamperoor, the whole episode was a figment of imagination of Jishnu. “He thought he could turn the attention of the people to the issue of drug abuse and make the world better through this act. He was not attacked by anyone. We are now in a very distressed condition. Don’t worsen the issue further,” he pleaded.
Mr Sumesh also said that Jishnu since his fourth standard had been epileptic and was being taken care of by Dr Avinash, neuro-surgeon of Cherthala KVM Hospital. “He fell there due to epilepsy and there was no serious injury to him,” said Mr Sumesh.
A teacher of the school Manoj Murali said that the police version that the student did not go in the way where the incident took place on the said day could not be taken at face value. “We went to the place and found the boy in a bad condition and took him to hospital. His shirt bore marks of being hit by the footwear. So the new versions have to be taken with a pinch of salt,” Mr Murali said.
