Kerala student Jishnu suicide: Exam controller asks why 'cheating' incident wasn't reported

Four days after Kerala student Jishnu  Pranoy committed suicide allegedly over harassment from college authorities, the university exam controller accused the college authorities of procedural lapse. 

In the latest development, the examination controller of Technological University pointed out that the authorities of Nehru College of Engineering and Research had failed to report the cheating incident to them.

“As per the university rules, the college is supposed to submit a report to us if a student is caught cheating in exams. The report should reach us on the same day, but we haven’t received any such intimation from Nehru College,” the examination controller Shabu told television journalists. 

The examination controller and another official from the department of technical education visited the college in Pampadi to carry out an inquiry. This was done as per the instruction of the State Education Minister C Raveendranath, who has sought a report on the matter. 

Earlier, when allegations arose that Jishnu had been harassed by the college management, the authorities had claimed that they had only advised Jishnu not to cheat during exams. An official told media persons that the incident was not even reported to higher officials.

On Tuesday, protests continued against the college, with ABVP activists carrying out a protest march to the house of P Krishnadas, Chairman of Nehru Group of Institutions. While a few ABVP activists were detained by the police following a mild altercation, several Yuva Morcha members protested near the Chairman's house. 

The first year computer science student killed himself in the college hostel in Thrissur on Friday, after he was allegedly caught cheating in an examination. His friends and family have, however, categorically denied the college's version that they advised Jishnu not to cheat during exams.

Meanwhile, accusing the college management of "murdering his son", Jishnu's father told reporters that police must register a case of murder.