The academic council of the Government Polytechnic College, Kalamassery, has suspended, pending inquiry, three final-year students who were arrested for allegedly possessing ganja in a raid by the Kochi City police at the men’s hostel of the college.
A committee has also been formed to conduct an inquiry. However, the students will be allowed to write the exams, scheduled in hardly a fortnight, even if the committee’s report is not forthcoming by then.
Aiju Thomas, Principal, said the raid on the eve of Holi celebrations was not entirely surprising, as the college had been following a protocol of alerting the police before such events, anticipating trouble, including the use of intoxicants. “The college has been actively engaged in anti-narcotic activities on campus and liaising with the police and the Higher Education department for the past six months,” he added.
Responding to allegations that outsiders, including former students, had been frequenting the men’s hostel, Mr. Thomas said it was unlikely with the presence of two resident tutors. “However, despite the gate being locked and guards being present, youngsters may find a way to sneak in, especially given the hostel campus spans around 50 acres. We will introduce more stringent measures from the next academic year,” he added.
Mr. Thomas said the student outfit could not be held responsible simply because one of the arrested students was a union office-bearer and sought to portray it as an isolated incident.
Meanwhile, the police dismissed claims that the arrested students were unaware of the ganja in their rooms and were allegedly framed. Thrikkakara Assistant Commissioner of Police P.V. Baby said the contraband could not have reached the room without the students’ knowledge. He added that the police had not verified the political affiliation of the accused, who were arrested solely based on evidence of their involvement.
Abhiraj, one of the arrested students and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) union general secretary, alleged that the police were rude to him when he revealed his credentials as a union office-bearer. He also claimed that ganja was recovered from his room in his absence and that he had no idea how it ended up there.
“We are investigating more suspects and the supply route. Those who fled during the raid will be tracked down. Intensive checks are under way in educational institutions, public places, hotels, and lodges,” Mr. Baby said.
The incident sparked a war of words between the SFI and the Kerala Students’ Union (KSU). The SFI local leadership reportedly backed Abhiraj, alleging that two KSU activists had fled the hostel during the raid. However, the activists denied the claim, saying they had no reason to flee. KSU State president Aloysius Xavier said his organisation needed no validation from the SFI in its fight against drugs.
Published – March 14, 2025 07:30 pm IST
