Was Chennai engineering student assaulted by college for liking a Facebook post?

The doctors at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital in Chennai are protesting for protection from angry relatives, but the story of how the patient in the middle of the chaos got there is shocking.

Vijay J, a final-year engineering student from Adhiparasakthi Engineering College, is lying in pain with his left hand bandaged. Five days ago, he was allegedly beaten up by his college management for liking a Facebook post against the college.

Vijay’s uncle Thamira Pandian told The News Minute, “On Monday, ten people from his college management including a man called Senthil Kumar took him and his friend to another classroom and beat them up. He was hit with a chair on his back, and was told by those men that they are making sure that no one has the courage to put up Facebook post after seeing them both,” he says.

In the pictures provided by the family, there are injuries on Vijay’s back and his hands.

The family claimed that Vijay’s friend had posted a status about the issues in the college and Vijay had liked the post.

“The college suspected both these students of posting a status so they assaulted both of them. The post was about how the college provided bad quality food, poor facilities and kept asking for money in the middle of the year,” he says.

The complaint filed by Vijay’s mother Panchavarnam states, “He was stripped and beaten up by the college management. The assault went on from 10am to 6pm on Monday.” She added that they were informed by the college authorities on Monday evening that their son had fallen from the stairs and had injuries.

The family alleges that Vijay was also forced to sign a document. “After assaulting him, the college forcefully made him sign a document which said that he had fallen from the staircase in the college and had sustained injuries,” says Thamira Pandian.

The family says that they were then called by the college authorities, and asked to take Vijay home. With his uncle’s help, Vijay was admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital on Tuesday for treatment.

A police complaint has been filed at Pookadai police station in Chennai. “The police in Melmaruvathur are supporting the college, how can we file a complaint there?” asks Pandian.

However, no arrests have been made in the case so far.

Vijay hails from Tirunelveli district and was staying with his relatives in Melmaruvathur to attend Adhiparasakthi Engineering College. Both his parents work as daily wage workers.

“He has his final examinations next month and now we have to ask the court to provide him protection, so he can write the examination in the college,” says Pandian.

The News Minute contacted Adhiparasakthi Engineering College, but they disconnected the call as soon as we questioned them about the allegations made by the student’s family.