Assault on student: Krishnadas denied bail

Thrissur: A local court here on Wednesday rejected the bail application of P Krishnadas, Chairman of the Nehru Group of Institutions, in the case relating to assaulting a student of Nehru Academy of Law, Palakkad.

Wadakkanchery judicial first class magistrate Sreedevi, however, granted bail to three other accused in the case -- administrative manager Sukumaran, physical education teacher Govindankutty and administrative executive Valsalakumar.

The magistrate had earlier granted conditional bail to legal adviser Suchithra in the case.

The counsel for the accused argued that police had only slapped bailable offences against them when they were arrested but later added non-bailable offences.They contended that the police wanted to divert attention from the media criticism of the probe into Jishnu death case.

Prosecutor T R Manoj Kumar argued that preparing the FIR marks only the commencement of an investigation and new penal sections could be added during the progress of the investigation.

The magistrate accepted the arguments of the prosecution in the case of Krishnadas and rejected his bail application.

Shaheer Shaukat Ali, an LLB student of the college, had lodged a complaint at the Pazhayannur police station alleging assault from the college authorities.

He said Krishnadas summoned him to Pampady College and asked him to furnish a statement he was involved in more than five ragging cases. When Shaheer refused, Krishnadas allegedly hit him on his private parts with his knee. Shaheer said eventually he had no other option but to give a statement as Krishnadas demanded. He said Krishnadas had also threatened his father who questioned the act.

Krishnadas, an accused in the case related to the death of Jishnu, was given anticipatory bail on March 2.