VSSC research fellow's death in stray dog-caused road accident in TVM shatters family, sparks outrage

For years, they dreamt of their lone son becoming a great scientist. Harish and Jisha, natives of Irangallur, Kozhikode, now mourn the loss of their son's untimely death in a road accident in Thiruvananthapuram. 

Athul A K, a Junior Research Fellow at the Space Physics Laboratory of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), ISRO, was returning to his rented house in Pallithura with his mother, Jisha, when their scooter hit a stray dog on the beach road near Shanthi Nagar market around 9.15 pm on Thursday. While Jisha escaped with minor injuries to her hands and legs, Athul hit his head, sustained severe blood loss and died.

For those who knew him, Athul was a bright young scientist with big dreams. His parents had dedicated their lives to help him achieve his goal. 

"After completing Class 12, he was set on becoming a scientist. Based on that dream, he completed his Integrated M.Sc from Amrita School of Physical Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore, in 2022 and became a research fellow in 2023. With just one more year left to complete his fellowship, he was excited about what lay ahead," said Satheesh Kumar, Athul's relative.

Athul was working in the field of aerosol trace gases and radiative forcing. "He had presented a research paper at NIT Calicut just a month ago," Satheesh said. 

The family had recently begun planning a new chapter in their lives around Athul's academic journey. The family was preparing to relocate from Kozhikode to Thiruvananthapuram so they could stay together while Athul completed his studies. 

"Being a single child, his parents have always been protective. Athul's grandmother stayed with him in Thumba for some time, then returned home. After that, his mother was staying with him. Athul's father retired last month and the entire family was set to move to the rented house," Sreeja added. 

"My son and Athul, who share the same name, studied together from Classes 1 to 4 at Iringallur GLPS and were close friends. His mother, a homemaker, picked him up from school and dropped him off ever since he was a child. Whenever Jisha and I talk, we would proudly say, 'My son works in a bank and your son is a research scholar,'" she added.

"The incident came as a shock to Athul's friends. After attending the funeral on Friday, my son came back deeply upset," Sreeja said.

Relatives say Athul and his mother were both wearing helmets at the time of the accident. However, Athul's helmet reportedly slipped off during the impact and he suffered a serious head injury.

"Onlookers took him to the hospital in an autorickshaw. But he had already lost a lot of blood and suffered a cardiac arrest. Doctors called Athul's father, who rushed from Kozhikode in a cab. Jisha was not able to handle the news of his death. Both his parents are shattered," Satheesh Kumar said.

Athul's death has ignited protests against official apathy. Pallithura ward member Suchithra said stray dogs have long posed a threat along the beach road. "Although no major accident had taken place earlier, stray dogs have chased vehicles on multiple occasions. I had submitted a complaint to the Mayor along with a video recording showing the stray dog menace in the area," she said.