Kerala   

College student commits suicide

Venting ire: The Principal’s office of MACFAST which was ransacked by SFI activists on Tuesday.

KOLLAM: A 23-year-old second-year student of Thiruvalla Mar Athanasios College for Applied Sciences and Technology (MACFAST) allegedly committed suicide in her house at Chavara near here on Tuesday morning. Sumi Surendran was in her house for the Easter holidays. The body has been taken to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital for autopsy.

In three suicides notes, reportedly written by her, she alleges that the college authorities cold-shouldered a complaint regarding the theft of her laptop from the college hostel. Instead of taking follow-up action, the college authorities told her that the laptop could have been stolen by one of her hostel-mates and ignored the issue, the note says. The incident took place on March 14.

She is critical of the attitude of self-financing colleges in the note — MACFAST is a self-financing college.

Sumi came to her house on March 16 for the holidays. Her father and Suresh (her only brother) are employed in the Gulf. The police said she did not tell anything about the laptop theft to her family members.

On Tuesday morning, she slit her vein and hanged herself on her ‘dupatta’ from the ceiling fan of her bedroom, the police said. The funeral will be held after the arrival of her father and brother. The police have registered a case of unnatural death. Education Minister M.A. Baby who visited the student’s house at Chavara said the government would order an inquiry into the circumstances that led the student’s death.

Staff Reporter writes from Pathanamthitta: Activists of the Students Federation of India (SFI) on Tuesday attacked the college alleging mental harassment by the college management which led to the death of Sumi Surendran. According to college Principal Abraham Mulamoottil, a group of youths wielding lathis and iron bars gate-crashed into the college campus around 3.20 p.m. and smashed the glass panes and destroyed furniture and other articles at the college office, manager’s room and principal’s room.

He said the youths barged into the principal’s room and literally created a scary scene. However, the attackers spared him and a visitor inside the cabin. The third semester MBA examination was under way at the college and the 200-odd students present on the campus who were about to retaliate were pacified by the teachers, the Principal said.

The SFI activists also staged a sit-in in front of the Principal’s cabin, raising slogans against the management and demanding the arrest of the Principal. A police party led by Dy.SP Thomas John, Circle Inspector A. Santhoshkumar and Sub-Inspector K.R. Pratheek reached the spot and arrested them. The police party is camping on the college campus. The police said 15 SFI activists, including district secretary R. Manu, were arrested in connection with the incident.

Meanwhile, SFI State joint-secretary Roshan Roy Mathew and district leaders alleged that the college management was responsible for the suicide of the MCA student.

The SFI leaders called upon the government to conduct an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the death of Sumi. The SFI leaders called for a strike in Pathanamthitta on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Metropolitan Archbishop of Thiruvalla Thomas Mar Koorilos termed the attack on the college as yet another instance of organised move by the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) and its feeder organisations to tarnish the image of educational institutions run by minority communities. The Archbishop said the college management had nothing to do with the suicide of the girl. He said the college management had even consoled the girl who had reportedly lost her laptop on March 13 and had promised to provide another one to her when the college reopens after the Easter holiday.

But, the college received a phone call on her sad demise on Tuesday morning and the college staff, students and representatives of the management had paid homage to the departed student, he said.

A meeting of staff and students of the college held condoled the death of Sumi. The meeting presided by Pushpagiri Chief Executive Officer Thomas Kodinatukunnel also condemned the SFI attack on the college.

The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and SFI leaders said the two organisations would stage a march to the college on Wednesday, demanding action against the college management.

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