Leaders of political parties in the State on Wednesday demanded a probe into the death of Sharath Prabhu, a post-graduate medical student of the University College of Medical Sciences affiliated to Delhi University. Prabhu, a native ofTirupur district, was found dead in the hostel.
DMK working president M.K. Stalin urged the Centre to order a CBI probe into death of students from Tamil Nadu in other States and direct the respective governments to ensure their safety.
In a statement, he expressed shock over the death of Prabhu and said the suspicion raised over his death by his parents should not be ignored. He said a CBI probe was not ordered in the case of death of another medical student, Sarvanan from Tiupur, at AIIMS last year, despite pleas from his father.
Mr. Stalin said that the death of M. Mari Raj, a post-graduate medical student in Ahmedabad, Gujarat was reported recently.
The DMK leader said he had raised the past deaths in the recently concluded Assembly session and urged the government to ensure safety of Tamil Nadu students in other States and create a separate department to monitor their safety.
The State Health Minister had promised to ensure the safety of students but despite that two students died which showed the careless attitude of the government, he said.
Mr. Stalin said there was now panic among parents who had sent their children for studies to other States.
He slammed Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami’s statement that students studying in other States must register with the government and termed it an attempt to avoid responsibility. Instead, the State government should get information from respective district Collectors and take steps to ensure their safety. “Create a separate department and open a toll-free number which would enable students and parents to contact the State government in case of any emergency,” he said.
Similar circumstances
MDMK leader Vaiko expressed suspicion that Prabhu was killed as there were similarities in the circumstances of his death as well as that of Saravanan last year.
Lethal syringes were found alongside the bodies of both these medicos. He claimed that the possibility of postgraduate medical students being killed to fill the vacancies in medical colleges could not be ruled out.
Mr. Vaiko, therefore, demanded a CBI probe into Prabhu’s death.
