Kottayam student's body found in Meenachil, kin demands probe against BVM College

The body of Anju P Shaji, a 20-year-old undergraduate student in Commerce, was recovered from Meenachil River in Kottayam district on Monday.

Anju went missing on Saturday after appearing for her final semester varsity examination at the BVM Holy Cross College in Cherpunkal, near Pala, in Kottayam.

She studied at a private institution in Kanjirappally and the university allotted her BVM College as the examination centre.

Cause of death

Though the cause of her death was not officially ascertained, Anju appeared to have committed suicide by jumping into the river.

Anju's father

She was apparently distraught after the college principal confiscated her answer sheets and hall ticket alleging her of cheating in the examination.

Anju's father Shaji alleged that his daughter's death was a murder and the principal was responsible for it. "My daughter would never cheat in examination. She was good at studies," an inconsolable Shaji told mediapersons on Monday.

He said the college authorities should have informed him if his daughter was caught for examination fraud.

"They should have informed me if they found malpractices. I would have come and took her home," he said.

He also demanded action against the principal.

College officials react

Faced with a barrage of criticism against the principal, the college authorities hurriedly convened a press conference at the college on Monday to level further allegations against the deceased student.

"She wrote lessons on the backside of the hall ticket and attempted to write them in the answer sheet," said college officials, and showed the CCTV footages of the examination hall and Anju's hall ticket.

They said Anju had written answers in three pages by the time the principal caught her. "Reports that we had shouted at her were false,” they said and added that all the related documents have been handed over to the police and the university.

What classmates say

Anju's classmates said she was studious and would never commit such fraud. "We would not believe this," they said.

They said the principal had confiscated Anju's answer sheets and hall ticket 30 minutes into the examination. "The principal said he would not allow her to write the exam. Anju sat there for 45 minutes before leaving the exam hall. No one stopped her then," they said.

Suo moto case

Meanwhile, the Kerala Women's Commission has registered a suomoto case into the death of Anju based on the recommendation of panel member E M Radha.

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