Chorus for probe into JNU student’s death

DMK Working President MK Stalin urged Union government to order CBI probe into the mysterious death of Muthukrishnan at Jawaharlal Nehru University. 

Urging the Union government to provide necessary protection to Tamil Nadu students who go to New Delhi to pursue higher education, Stalin, in a statement issued here, demanded CBI probe into the mysterious death of Muthukrishnan, a firstyear MPhil student of JNU from Salem. The death has frightened Tamil Nadu students who plan to go to the national capital to pursue higher education, the Leader of Opposition said. 

AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran said Muthukrishnan’s death at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University and his references to ‘inequality’ has sent ‘shock waves’ across the state. Referring to Muthukrishnan’s links to a movement in support of ‘justice’ for deceased Dalit research scholar Rohit Vemula in Hyderabad last year, Dinakaran said, “There are doubts if he really committed suicide, as he was strong-minded.” Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami condoled the death Muthukrishnan and announced a solatium of Rs 3 lakh to his family. “Considering the family circumstances of the deceased student, I have ordered a solatium of Rs 3 lakh. We are making arrangements to immediately bring the body of the student back to his native village,” he said.

A day after a 27-year-old Dalit student allegedly committed suicide at Jawaharlal Nehru University, the victim’s father demanded the government to order a CBI probe in to the untimely death of his son on Tuesday.

Jeevanantham, the father of deceased JNU scholar J Muthukrishnan, alleged that his son’s death was ‘murder’ and refuted the police claim that he committed suicide. He said, “My son had absolutely no reason to commit suicide. Our family was not under any financial stress and my son was strong of mind. When I last spoke to him over the phone, he showed no signs that he might take this extreme step.” 

After the initial investigation, the police claimed that Muthukrishnan had committed suicide by hanging using a blanket in a friend’s residence in South Delhi’s Munirka area on Monday. Jeevananthan is currently in New Delhi where his son’s body is kept at AIIMs mortuary.