Chennai

Controversies continue to rock the Sri Sairam Engineering College near Tambaram as a first year engineering student killed himself by jumping into a well on the campus on Friday. 

The deceased has been identified as T Abinath (18), son of Thangaraj, a farmer in Perambalur district. His college-mates alleged that Abinath took the extreme step after he was tortured by the college authorities. Students told reporters the professors made Abinath sit in front of them and study, without allowing him to go anywhere, as he had four arrears in the first semester. 

Abinath was admitted in the mechanical stream, students said. However, college authorities ruled out any such wrong doing on their part. “He actually wanted to pursue medicine, but his parents had forced him to study engineering. This was the main reason for his problems,” Sai Prakash, CEO of Sairam Group of institutions, told DTNext . 

Police said Abinath went missing from the college hostel around 7 30 am on Friday and later some students found him sitting on the parapet of a well. Subsequently they saw him climb down the well with the help of rings embedded on the walls of the well. 

“The students rushed to the well and asked him why he was sitting at the bottom ring of the well. But he suddenly jumped into the water. He didn’t know to swim and drowned. We were informed about the incident at 10 am,” Frank D Rueben, Kundrathur inspector said. He said they have not found a suicide note.  

Police rushed to the spot and pulled out Abinath’s body around 1 pm. It was then taken to Chrompet Government Hospital for post-mortem. Sri Sairam Engineering College had been in the eye of a storm in October when the management issued a circular restricting student from wearing fashionable outfits.

CAMPUS CASUALTIES

Cases of students’ suicide in 2016

March 8: Ajithkumar, a second year BE Civil student of a private engineering college in Pennalur, committed suicide in his hostel room, allegedly due to his low marks in the semester exams held recently. Fellow students accused the management behind the suicide and vandalised the properties in college campus and hostel

January 26: An 18-year-old student Sulochana of a college in Thanjavur committed suicide by hanging in her classroom after being ticked off for not wearing the NCC uniform for Republic day

January 24: Three girl students of SVS College near Villupuram allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a well, owing to the exorbitant college fees

Abused by management, says 2-page suicide note of Kovai victim

In another incident, a third year student of Kathir College of Engineering, near Coimbatore committed suicide by hanging. 

Vignesh had written down every detail of the alleged torture meted out to him by the college authorities in his two-page suicide note. His family refused to accept their son’s body or allow it to be taken for post mortem, unless police took action on the management. 

Vignesh (20), from Erode, committed suicide by hanging inside the storeroom of his college hostel on Thursday noon. His friends found his body around 8 pm and informed the police. But his parents allege they were informed about their son’s death from students only on Friday morning. 

In his note, he said, he was stopped by the cashier at the college gate while returning from a workshop and the staff accused him of consuming liquor. “I had not consumed any liquor. I tried explaining that to them but they took me to the CEO and principal. 

I pleaded my innocence.” But the college management made him sign an apology, asking him to confess, assuring they would let him go after that. He signed the letter but even then they threatened to inform his parents.

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