# 2025 attack at Kottayam College of Nursing

On February 11, 2025, a group of senior students entered the boys' hostel of the Government College of Nursing, Kottayam, tied a junior student to a bed, made cuts all over his body with a divider, applied lotion to it, brutally assaulted him, and then used the divider to pierce his genitals.
one days later, the Kerala Police registered an FIR on a complaint filed by the Principal of the Government College of Nursing, Kottayam. The college administration has formed a fact-finding committee to collect relevant information about the incidents. A case has been registered against the accused under the Ragging Act for assault, causing hurt, and extortion by threatening.
On February 12, 2025, the Kerala Police arrested 5 accused and remanded all five accused who were produced in court.

## The incident

On February 11, 2025, senior students tied the hands and feet of a junior student and made him lie on the bed, used a divider to make cuts all over his body, and then applied lotion to it. They stabbed each part of the student's body with the divider. Saying "one, two, three", they stabbed each part with the divider. The accused were laughing and screaming in pain, while the junior student was insulted by calling him "sexy body". The footage was obtained from the mobile phone of the accused recovered by the police.
The student was crying while pouring lotion on his mouth and eyes and the senior students asked him if he should close his eyes if his eyes were burning. Dumbbells were also attached to the private parts of the junior student. After this, one of the accused said "let's draw a circle" and stabbed the student in the stomach with a divider. The divider was used to make cuts in the stomach. Even after the junior student cried, the senior students said, "Enough, it hurts," and continued their attack. They harassed and taunted the student. The police report says
On February 12, 2025, the police arrested five senior students of the Kottayam Government Nursing College and remanded all five accused who were produced in the court. On February 13, 2025, the accused arrested in the case were suspended from the college.

## Aftermath

The incident reached the mainstream media after a video emerged of senior students attacking a junior student. From February 12 to February 15, 2025, around 1000 students protested outside the college gates, demanding an apology from the college principal, ensuring a safe campus, and taking action against the culprits. They alleged that the college management did not take any necessary action despite bringing the incidents to the notice of the college management.

## Police investigation

A day after the incidents, on February 12, 2025, teachers of Kottayam Nursing College and a student filed a complaint at the police station. An FIR was registered and a case was registered under the sections of the Indian Penal Code against the accused under the Ragging Act for assault, causing hurt, and extortion by threatening.

### Identification and arrests

On February 12, 2025, the Kerala Police said that they had identified 5 accused and remanded all five accused who were produced in court. The police said that all the accused were senior students of Kottayam Nursing College. The police identified the attackers from the mobile footage of the incident.

### Accused

All the main accused arrested by the police in the Kottayam Nursing College attack were senior students. The list is below.
| Name | Age | year of students |
| Samuel Johnson | 20 | third-year |
| Jeeva NS | 19 | third-year |
| Rahul Raj KP | 22 | third-year |
| Rijiljith | 21 | third-year |
| Vivek NV | 21 | third-year |

## Reaction from political leaders

Minister for Higher Education and Social Justice, R. Bindu assured strict action in the incident, stressing that the government has instructed authorities to ensure that the culprits get the maximum punishment.

## Public protest

On 13 February 2025, public protests were held in Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram. Students clashed with police and lathi charged demonstrators in front of Kottayam Nursing College.
On 17 February 2025, the Kerala Students Union (KSU) took out a protest march to the government Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram.
On 15 February 2025, the BJP took out a protest march to the outside the Kottayam's Government Nursing College

## Controversy
### SFI members linked to Kottayam ragging violence case

The Congress-led opposition UDF has claimed that the accused in the Kottayam Government Nursing College ragging case have links with the Left-wing student organisation SFI. Opposition leader V D Satheesan alleged that the accused in the Kottayam ragging and violence case are members of SFI and have links with the Kerala Government Nursing Students Association (KGNSA), a student organisation linked to the Left.