Kerala: Dalit student ragged, kidneys damaged; all 9 accused absconding

Thrissur: A 22-year-old student, Avinash, has been hospitalised in Kerala's Thrissur after alleged ragging at a polytechnic college.

According to reports, police said the young man, who happens to be a Dalit, was stripped and made to do rigorous work for more than five hours.

All nine senior students who ragged him have gone missing, said a report. Eight other students were also ragged with Avinash.

The father of the ragging victim has filed a complaint with the police alleging that his son was physically and mentally harassed by a nine-member group of senior students of the Nattakam government polytechnic college. Sivadasan of Irinjalakuda, who filed the complaint with K.G. Simon, Kottayam district police chief in- charge, on Friday said that the gang had undressed his son, a first-year student, and made him take push-ups on December 2.

The accused forcibly fed the boy with liquor mixed with some substances. When Avinash came home, he was admitted to the Mother Hospital, Thrissur, with kidney complaints. The college authorities had failed to take any action against the guilty. Sivadasan urged the police to arraign the accused under the Kerala prohibition of ragging Act 1998 and SC/ST atrocities Act. The complaint was also forwarded to the Chingavanam sub- inspector of police.

DC correspondent adds from Thrissur Dr P.M. Jayaraj, nephrologist at Mother Hospital, said that both the kidneys of Avinash were damaged due to excessive physical activity creating myoglobin protein in the blood which is filtered by the kidneys. “If the amount of this protein is too high that will adversely affect the kidneys. Avinash is put on haemodialysis and he will recover within three weeks,” he said. Meanwhile, the Nattakam polytechnic college has suspended the 9 students who allegedly ragged Avinash.