A nursing professionals' body has raised the issue of "mysterious" deaths of Malayali students in Karnataka, alleging police apathy in investigating these cases.
The Bharathiya Nurses and Allied Sangh, an affiliate of the RSS-linked Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, claims that five students from Kerala have died in Bengaluru in the last five months.
Addressing a press conference in Kochi, BNAS president K.K. Vijayakumar and secretaries Giju Thomas and Anilkumar M.A. point out that the most alarming aspect of these cases is the suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths, which are often reported as suicides by the police.
“The approach of the Karnataka police towards these cases has been equally disturbing, with allegations that the investigations have been influenced by the college management to help the accused,” they say.
The Sangh notes that the case of Athulya Gangadharan, who studied at the Dhanvanthari College of Nursing in Bangalore, is a stark example of this trend.
It says the college is run by a politically influential individual named Mohammad Arif without a proper licence. Despite the mysterious circumstances surrounding Athulya’s death, the Sangh alleges, the police have been reluctant to investigate the case.
The case of Christina Shaji, who was found dead under suspicious circumstances, has also raised questions about the alleged police apathy in investigation.
The death of Anagha Hari, who the Sangh says was a diligent student, is the latest in such cases. Anagha, too, was studying at the Dhanvanthari College of Nursing, which has witnessed three deaths in the past three months. However, no investigation has been conducted and the college authorities and the police have been reluctant to cooperate, it alleges.
The Sangh also claims that some Malayali agents are involved in admitting students to these "unauthorised" colleges in exchange for commissions.
At the presser, the BNAS office-bearers further announced that they have launched an anti-drug campaign and awareness programme called Yuvashudhi Abhiyan in Bangalore campuses in collaboration with the Narcotics Control Bureau.
The organisation also plans to extend this programme to the campuses in Kerala as well.