Dalit JNU student suicide: Police to scan Muthukrishnan’s FB, calls

New Delhi: Police will scan the call logs and chat records of the mobile phone and social media accounts of Dalit JNU student Muthukrishnan who allegedly committed suicide.

The deceased who had named himself ‘Krish Rajini’ on Facebook, allegedly hanged himself at his South Korean friend’s house in Munirka using a blanket on March 13.

On Wednesday, a case of abetment to suicide and the relevant section of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs) Prevention of Atrocities (PoA) Act was registered in connection with the incident.

“We will access his laptop data and go through his SMSes to ascertain the reason why he took the extreme step,” said a senior police officer.

The officer also said that they will also request the two professors under whom he was pursuing his dissertation to join the probe.

Police has also issued notices to the university seeking clarification over allegations that he faced “caste-based” discrimination.

His roommate in the hostel Amritangshu will also be spoken to in detail whether he had noticed any suicidal tendencies in Krishnan in the days leading to his death.

Police is also trying to contact the woman whom he had spoken to on the morning of March 13, the day he allegedly killed himself. His mobile phone and laptop have been sent for forensic examination.

Police are also scanning through the five Facebook posts in which he had narrated a story about being discriminated while in Salem and in Delhi.

In the posts titled, “Manaa”, the 28-year-old had narrated his struggle to get over the discrimination.

To verify the allegations about his being discriminated, notices are likely to be sent to the JNU administration, head of the student’s welfare board and the head of department of Centre for Historical Studies where he was enrolled for his M.phil.

Police have also approached a few of his batchmates and friends to verify the allegations.

Family members have told the cops that in order to pursue a course in JNU, Muthukrishnan had taken up different jobs and was emotionally strong. He was a member of Dalit student’s association at the Hyderabad Central University but never took part in active student politics.

Muthukrishnan’s body was cremated at his hometown in Salem.

PTI