The Principal District and Sessions Court in Kottayam has granted bail to all five accused in the ragging incident reported from the men’s hostel of Government Nursing College, Kottayam.
While allowing the bail pleas, the court took into account several factors including the age of the accused and the fact that the chargesheet had already been filed. All five individuals had been in judicial custody for over 50 days.
As per the bail conditions, the accused are strictly prohibited from committing any civil or criminal offences and from attempting to influence witnesses. They are also required to appear before the court whenever summoned.
The accused have been identified as K.P. Rahul Raj, Samuel Johnson, N.S. Jeeva, C. Rijil Jith, and N.V. Vivek.
Earlier, the group had approached the High Court seeking bail after the District Court rejected their plea. However, they later withdrew their petition.
Meanwhile, speculation is rife about an attempt by the accused to settle the matter privately with the complainants through mediation.
Chargesheet filed
The police have already submitted the chargesheet in the case before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Ettumanoor. According to the report, the victims were subjected to severe physical and mental torture at the hands of the accused.
The chargesheet, filed 46 days after the case was registered, invoked Section 118 and 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) along with provisions of the Prohibition of Ragging Act, 2011. It also lists around 40 witnesses.
The incident came to light on February 11 when college authorities forwarded a student’s complaint to the Gandhinagar police, leading to the arrest of five senior students.
Published – April 10, 2025 06:10 pm IST
