JNU student suicide: Kin reject depression theory, demand investigation by CBI

Suspecting foul play, friends and family of J Muthu Krishnan — a Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student who allegedly committed suicide on Monday — have rejected the police's theory that he was depressed and have demanded an investigation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

A friend of Krishnan's has also stated that the latter was cheerful in the hours leading up to his death, and he had even imitated superstar Rajnikanth, who he was a big fan of, to entertain his friends.

Krishnan's father, Jeevanandam, has demanded the CBI probe and that an FIR be registered in connection with his son's death.

Krishnan was born to a poor Dalit couple in Salem. Jeevanandam works as a watchman in a private nursing home while his wife, Alamelu, is a daily wager. Krishnan is survived by an elder sister and two younger sisters. He had completed his schooling from Little Flower Higher Secondary School and then studied for his BA and MA in History from Government Arts College in Salem. Later, he did his B.Ed at a private college in Coimbatore and earned an MPhil from Hyderabad Central University. As the news of his death was announced, a pall gloom descended over his one-room residence located in Paavaender Street at Arisipalayam in Salem.

Speaking to DNA, Vikas Kumar Moola, Krishnan's friend said that he had gone with another friend, Rahul, to meet Krishnan on Monday morning, hours before he died. Moola said that the deceased had been cheerful, showing no signs of the depression that could have led him to take the extreme step.

"We had breakfast together and then chatted for an hour. Krishnan even imitated Rajinikant and acted out a dialogue from the movie Kabali. He was happy," Moola said.

"We also spoke about Holi and how Dalits in the country don't participate in the festival. He told me that he would stay in his room as he had some pending work and would not go out to play Holi," Moola, a PhD (Sociology) student of JNU said.

Jeevanandam, in his complaint to the police, alleged that his son was neither diagnosed with any mental illness nor was he taking any medication for it. "His death has taken place under mysterious circumstances and a thorough probe into it, which is not a suicide, should be carried out. The FIR should also have Schedule Caste(s) and Schedule Tribe(s) Prevention of Atrocity Act,1989, added to the case," the father said. He also alleged that he was informed of the death by his son's friend and that he hasn't received a call from the JNU administration yet. "His tongue wasn't protruding and his eyelids weren't droopy either," he said.

An autopsy could not be conducted as Jeevanandam has objected to the panel formed by Sudhir Gupta, the Head of Forensics, AIIMS. The family has demanded that a doctor from Chennai, Karunakaran Mathikiran, be flown in and made a part of the panel. But sources revealed that this demand has been rejected.              

According to the police, a PCR call was received at 5 pm on Monday, with Kim Li, a South Korean national, and two JNU students stating that Krishnan had committed suicide. The police broke open the door to a room in Li's house and found Krishan hanging from the ceiling fan."The forensics team was called in to search the room and his hostel room at Jhelum. No suicide note was recovered from his possession," said Ishwar Singh, DCP (South).

Li had invited Krishan for lunch. According to Li's statement to the police, Krishan seemed disturbed and had reached his residence at noon.

"He told me that he had slept the previous night at about 3 am and was tired. He then went to a room to take rest. We later knocked on the door twice, but he did not open it. We thought that he must be sleeping since he was tired," Kim told the police.

Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami has announced solatium of Rs 3 lakh for the victim's family and also directed officials to bring the body of the student back to his native place in Salem.

(With inputs from G Jagannath in Chennai)