A day after Vignesh, a third-year Civil Engineering student from Kathir College of Engineering, committed suicide inside the college store room on Thursday, friends and family members staged a demonstration in front of the District Collectorate demanding action against the college management here on Friday.

The issue came to light when students found Vignesh hanging in the store room around 9.00 p.m. Though college officials alleged that the reason behind his suicide was family and financial issues, a message circulated on WhatsApp supposedly by his friends claimed that Vignesh was tortured by the college management, which resulted in his suicide.

They had also stated that Vignesh was kept in a room without food in the name of an enquiry in which he was “forced to write a letter stating that he had consumed liquor while coming to class”.

In an alleged suicide note, the boy has also claimed that despite having not consumed liquor, he was forced to write that he had consumed alcohol when the matter was taken to the Principal and the CEO of the College.

As a result of the chain of events that happened after he was taken to the administration, the boy allegedly committed suicide by hanging.

There were also claims made by the parents of Vignesh that they were not immediately informed. Speaking to media at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH), his parents said that they would not receive the mortal remains until those involved in the case were punished.

Despite strong statements from Vignesh’s family, police have remained mum in the issue as the college belonged to the son of a former Minister from the ruling AIADMK. Not even an FIR had been filed against the college so far.

Meanwhile, friends and relatives of the victim staged a demonstration in front of the District Collectorate demanding action against the management.