The death of a 22-year-old Kerala medical student in Uzbekistan has prompted an investigation by Kerala Police, after her family alleged that she was brutally assaulted and murdered by a fellow student from the state. The incident is alleged to have taken place on July 3.
Based on a complaint filed by her father, Haripad police in Alappuzha district have registered a case to investigate the death of Savariya Basanth, a native of Pallippad near Haripad, who was pursuing her MBBS at Bukhara State Medical Institute in Uzbekistan.
As per reports, Savariya and her male classmate, Sadarul Anam, 22, from Pulamanthole in Malappuram district, were involved in a heated altercation when he struck her with a laptop, reportedly leading to her death. Uzbek authorities have reportedly taken Anam into custody.
However, Savariya’s family alleged that the injuries on her body suggest she was subjected to a far more brutal assault than a single blow. They alleged she had injuries on several parts of her body, raising suspicion that she was severely assaulted before her death.
Janeesh, Savariya’s uncle, who travelled to Uzbekistan to bring her mortal remains back to Kerala, further alleged that she had been tortured because she refused to convert to Islam.
Savariya had completed her Plus Two education at VV HSS Naduvattam in Pallippad, after which she enrolled in the MBBS programme at Bukhara State Medical Institute in December last year. She and the accused were part of the same batch and were staying in a hostel that accommodated several students from Kerala, including both men and women.
Her relatives said they grew anxious after repeated attempts to contact her on July 3 went unanswered. When they reached out to the university, they were informed that she had been attacked.
Her father, Basanth, who is employed in Kuwait, returned to Kerala after being informed of the incident. He later approached the Alappuzha District Police Chief with documents received from Uzbek authorities, requesting a detailed probe into the circumstances surrounding his daughter's death.
After her body was flown to Kerala, doctors at Alappuzha Government Medical College Hospital carried out a second post-mortem examination. Her last rites were conducted at her family home in Pallippad on July 9.