Tamil Nadu was shocked on Thursday by the gruesome murder of the principal of an engineering college by his own students. Prof lRD Suresh, the 53-year-old principal of Infant Jesus College of Engineering at Thoothukudy, 532 km south of Chennai, was on his way to the college when three students of his college blocked his car at the college gate, dragged him out and hacked him with sickles and swords.
The chilling incident took place at 8.20 in the morning. A profusely bleeding Prof Suresh was rushed to the Tirunelvelu General Hospital where he succumbed at 9.40 am.
Toothukudi Police arrested P Pitchaikannan (21), a final year aeronautical engineering student, G Danish (21), a student of final year Information Technology and M Prabhaharan (21), third year civil engineering student who reportedly killed their own college principal.
According to a police official, the murder is in ‘retaliation’ for the suspension of Pitchaikannan from the college. The principal, a known disciplinarian, had placed Pitchaikannan under suspension for five days from Monday. The suspension was in connection with an assault on another student of the college by Pitchaikannan. The aeronautical engineering student was reported to be irregular in attending the college and was feared by the student community for his unruly behaviour.
While Pitchaikannan hacked Prof Suresh with the sickle, Danish and Prabhaharan held the victim tightly to the ground. A case of murder has been registered against the three students under Sections 294(b) and 302 of the IPC.
The college has been closed down for one week. The motto of the Infant Jesus College of Engineering has been “learning for Perfection” and the mission was “to mould perfect technocrats and professionals with creative power and ideal human values”.