Pachaiyappa students protest in Chennai

Tension sparked by second-year student’s suicide attempt on campus

The student had been suspended after a clash on campus on Wednesday. His classmates blamed the principal, saying the punishment had led to the 18-year-old’s attempting the extreme step. His condition is now stable. Photo: R. Ravindran

Over 200 students of Pachaiyappa’s College staged a protest on Friday afternoon following an attempt by a student to commit suicide in class.

The student is now in hospital and his condition is said to be stable.

According to police, tension spread across the campus on Poonamallee High Road around noon, after an 18-year-old second-year student consumed rat poison in one of his classes. The student had been suspended by college principal P. Gajivaradhan on Thursday, following a student clash on Wednesday.

“The student had brought rat poison from home and tried to commit suicide by consuming it on campus. His classmates rushed him to Government Kilpauk Hospital for treatment,” said an investigating officer.

Agitated students protested on campus against the college principal saying his hasty punishment had driven the 18-year-old to attempt the extreme step. The students protested until 2 p.m., and only dispersed after the principal addressed them and said that the youth in question had had poor attendance and had also been pulled up for indiscipline several times.

Prof. Gajivaradhan also said the college administration would consider revoking the suspension after a meeting with the student’s parents on October 5.

A contingent of police was then posted on the premises to avoid any further incidents.

The student was shifted to a hospital in Sriperumbudur near his residence on Friday evening, after he was declared to be out of danger by doctors at Government Kilpauk Hospital.