IIT Madras students on Thursday demanded the medical report of Manish Kumar, who attacked PhD scholar R. Sooraj for participating in the beef fest organised at the university.
Kumar got admitted to the hospital, claiming that he too was injured in the melee.
The students also sought expulsion of ABVP sympathisers who assaulted Sooraj. They also submitted a petition to the IIT management, demanding the same.
The PhD scholar had sustained injuries on his right eye and a fracture on his cheek bone.
Stating that there is video evidence of Kumar and other ABVP sympathisers following an injured Sooraj to the campus hospital, they said, “He (Kumar) was normal when he followed and this video footage shows he was not injured. If he is injured why his medical report has not been released?” asked Arjun, an active member of Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle in IIT.
Kumar is said to have threatened the students who accompanied him. The students asked the administration to look at CCTV footage of the campus hospital. They alleged that Kumar had also threatened another student, Justin Joseph.
Sooraj is recuperating in a private hospital. He is unable to talk or open his injured right eye and the doctors suspect internal bleeding. According to hospital sources, the doctors can look into the retina only if the cheek bone fracture is attended to. Sooraj was shifted from Sankara Nethralaya eye hospital to Apollo Hospitals because of the cheek bone fracture.
When DMK’s M.K. Stalin called on Sooraj at the hospital on Wednesday evening to enquire about his health, Sooraj was unable to communicate well.
Meanwhile, the protests have been gaining political colour with the local BJP leaders backing Kumar and his friends. BJP’s H. Raja, in a statement, demanded the dismissal of the IIT Madras dean for allowing the beef fest to happen in the campus.
With Kumar too in the hospital, claiming to have been injured, the IIT management is in a fix, as it cannot simply initiate action against Kumar.
