Police in Kerala have arrested four students for allegedly ‘gifting’ a college principal her ‘grave’ on her retirement.
The police, however, refused to reveal details about the students belonging to the Students Federation of India (SFI), a feeder outfit of Communist Party of India (Marxist).
The arrest follows a complaint BY T N Sarasu, the principal of the 127-year-old Palakkad Victoria College who said she was shocked to see her own grave on the campus she served for close to three decades.
“I was shocked to beyond anybody’s imagination. I could not believe they did this to me on my last day on the campus,” she said.
“I have no children, and they were my children. I enforced some discipline to ensure smooth academic activities. I stopped SFI leaders accommodating outsiders in hostels inconveniencing others.”
She said they did not even allow her to conduct internal exams at the behest of an agitating teachers’ union.
“The last time they disrupted exams was in February. They tore up the answer sheets of students taking exams and got away with it with the support of the bullying union,” Sarasu said.
“I heard them bursting firecrackers in celebration as I left the campus on my last day. The organised unions are doing this in many institutions in Kerala. But I didn’t expect them to stoop to this level.”
A wreath was also placed on the ‘grave’ while a death note found near it contained a list of accusations.
“They were targeting me ever since I started disciplining the campus,” said the zoology professor who is also a member of the Dalit community.
“I tried to set everything right after I assumed office a year back. I used to reach there at 9am every day and leave at 7pm, working hard to improve standards. But they won’t allow.”
They made the symbolic grave with floral decorations as they disliked her strict enforcement of discipline, a police officer said.
“We arrested the four after we were convinced that they were behind the shocking incident. They are all members of the SFI. We are verifying the role of others,” investigating officer T C Murukan said.
But he refused to confirm if they had admitted to the crime. They were booked on counts of unlawful assembly, rioting and defaming a person in authority.
The investigators have also taken the statements of eyewitnesses who saw the suspects “digging the grave” at the entrance Sarasu her office early in the morning before she arrived.
The principal said the SFI and the Association of Kerala Government College Teachers (AKGCT), also controlled by the CPM, were behind it. Both have distanced from the act.
“It’s a heinous crime. We never support such acts,” SFI Palakkad district secretary Swaroop said.
“We’ll take action if anyone of us was found to have a role in it.”
The AKGCT, however, admitted it was not on good terms with the principal and accused her of working against their right to agitate on the campus, and deliberately delaying their salary.
Students and teachers staged a demonstration in support of the principal after the incident.
“The allegations against us are untrue,” AKGCT president K Radhakrishnan said. “We agitated for a genuine cause, and we don’t have to resort to such a lowly act. Let the truth come out after the investigation”.
Several politicians, including federal Skills Development Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy, called on the principal expressing solidarity. But she insists she has no political affiliations.