COIMBATORE: A 19-year-old student at a private engineering college in Coimbatore district was allegedly beaten to death by a gang mostly comprising his college mates on Monday. Police have detained five suspects. The student’s father alleged that his son was murdered as he had informed the college hostel management about drug abuse on the premises.The deceased has been identified as K Amuthan, 19, a third-year engineering student at Hindustan Engineering College near Othakkalmandapam.According to police, a group of youths covering their faces with masks allegedly forced their way into a rented house at Poonga Nagar in Othakkalmandapam around 5.30am on Monday. Elavarasan, 18, a second-year civil engineering student at the same college, and his friends were staying there.The intruders threatened and assaulted the occupants before fleeing with two mobile phones. However, Elavarasan and his friends identified one of the intruders as Amuthan by his appearance.Around 8.30am on Monday, Amuthan and his friend Sriman, 19, were intercepted by some youths associated with Elavarasan and his friends. The duo were forcibly taken to an isolated place behind the college campus and brutally assaulted with logs and iron rods. Amuthan managed to return to his room around 10am. However, by 3pm, he experienced severe breathing difficulties and was rushed to a nearby hospital. He was declared dead by a doctor who examined him.Following a formal complaint lodged by Sriman, the Chettipalayam police registered a murder case. Five college students were detained to ascertain their roles in the fatal mob attack.Police officials noted that Amuthan had a recent history of disciplinary issues. He had been suspended from his college hostel recently following an assault on a hostel cook.Investigating officers stated that a detailed probe was under way to trace all remaining suspects and reconstruct the sequence of events.Amudhan’s father, Kennedy, stated that his son was an innocent student. He said a few days prior to the incident, Amudhan, along with his friend, had an argument with North Indian workers employed in the college kitchen behind the hostel premises. “My son did not attack the worker; rather, his friend did. Following this altercation, the college administration temporarily evicted both students from the hostel,” he said.Kennedy alleged that the administration had interrogated Amudhan regarding drug abuse and supply on the hostel premises, gathering key information from him. The family suspects that the group responsible for the attack targeted and killed Amudhan after discovering he was the source of that information. “If the college management had not interrogated him and forced him out of the hostel without a proper inquiry, our son would still be alive today. The college management leaked the information that our son told them about students who were involved in selling ganja,” said Kennedy. He also demanded strict legal action against the college management for their role in the sequence of events.
