Asked to trim beard, college student stages suicide drama

When the college at Theradi reopened after the summer vacation, Principal Venugopal and other professors reportedly gave strict instructions to students not to sport long hair or beard. However, as a few students did not follow this, they were reportedly warned that they would not be allowed inside the college if they do not follow the rules.

On Thursday, A Niranjan (19) of Tiruvottiyur, a final-year BA English literature student, reached the college with petrol in a bottle and poured it on himself in front of the principal's room. Shocked fellow students and staff members thwarted his bid and rescued him.

Based on the alert from the principal, Tiruvottiyur police reached the college and secured Niranjan and his classmates C Solomon (19) and S Sathishkumar (19). Police said that the other two students aided Niranjan in the bid and accompanied him to the principal's room. When Niranjan's suicide bid was thwarted, the duo started abusing the staff members, said police.

They were arrested under Sections 294(b) (uttering obscene words), 290 (public nuisance), 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 309 (attempt to commit suicide) of IPC and 7(1)(a) of Criminal Law Amendment Act, and were remanded in judicial custody.

College authorities said that the rules are in place only for the welfare of the students, but some of them resort to such acts to intimidate the administration.