Tragic death of Sradha Satheesh of Amal Jyothi Engineering College sparks protests

Students of Amal Jyothi Engineering College at Kanjirappally in Kerala staged a massive protest on Tuesday, June 6 against the college management following the suspicious death of their fellow student Sradha Satheesh (20), who was found hanging in her hostel room on Friday, June 2 evening. The protesting students alleged that it was mental torture by the college authorities, particularly the confiscation of Sradha's mobile phone, which pushed her to take her own life. The students chanted slogans against the college authorities and demanded a probe into Sradha’s suspicious death incident. They even condemned the delay in action taken by the police in the matter and allegedly held the college authorities responsible for the incident.  

Reportedly, the college management had asked the students to vacate the hostel on June 6 but they refused to do so and continued to protest in the campus. The protestors have clearly asserted that they will only stop protesting in the campus, until justice is served to the deceased student. They have reportedly demanded termination of the hostel warden and the Head of the Food Technology Department alleging that the professors had blamed Sradha for her low marks and the management had even confiscated her phone for using it in the lab. 

Family accuses college authority of subjecting Sradha to mental distress

The students also alleged that the college management tried to cover-up the suicide by stating that Sradha had collapsed in her room and they had taken her to hospital. Students belonging to the Student Federation of India (SFI) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) as well as KSU joined the protest and led marches to the college campus. The family of the deceased has also accused the college authorities of subjecting Sradha to mental distress and humiliation, leading to her decision to end her life.

What are allegations?
As per sources, allegations have emerged against college authorities of putting Sradha to mental distress and humiliation, eventually leading to her decision to end her life. According to eyewitnesses, the Head of the Department (HoD) at Amal Jyothi Engineering College had summoned Sraddha to his office, where she was reportedly reprimanded. That incident appeared to have deeply affected her, as she confided in her friends shortly after that. She reportedly expressed thoughts of suicide with her friends and her overall disillusionment with life. Further on the incident day, she didn’t speak to anyone after reaching the hostel room. 

The students charged the college authorities with allegations of making efforts to cover-up the entire incident. As per sources, the college management had informed Sradha's family about the tragic incident, stating that a decline in her academic performance had disappointed her and could have contributed to her distress. The police have initiated an investigation into the incident.