Kerala: BJP, ABVP seek probe into medical student’s death in Uzbekistan

Thiruvananthapuram, July 11 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State General Secretary Anoop Antony on Saturday demanded a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the death of Malayali medical student Sawariya Basanth in Uzbekistan, saying those responsible must be brought before the law and punished.

Joining the demand, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) alleged that the murder followed a failed love jihad attempt and sought diplomatic intervention by the Centre to ensure justice.

Describing the incident as deeply shocking, Anoop Antony said the mysterious death of a young Malayali woman who had gone abroad to pursue higher education had caused widespread concern.

He said the re-postmortem conducted at Alappuzha Medical College had reportedly revealed multiple bruises and injuries on the victim’s body, contrary to initial reports that she had suffered a fatal blow to the head with a laptop.

He said the allegations raised by the victim’s family, including claims that she was subjected to pressure to convert her religion and was allegedly subjected to sustained mental and physical harassment, must be investigated thoroughly and impartially.

Antony said the truth behind the incident must come out and all those responsible should face stringent legal action.

Antony also lauded the Central Government and the Indian Embassy for facilitating the early repatriation of Sawariya’s mortal remains and said the Centre should continue all necessary diplomatic and legal interventions until the investigation is completed.

He further called for stronger mechanisms to safeguard Indian students pursuing higher education abroad.

Meanwhile, the ABVP expressed serious concern over the killing and alleged that Sawariya Basanth, a first-year MBBS student at the Bukhara State Medical Institute, was murdered after repeatedly resisting attempts by a fellow student to persuade her to renounce Hinduism and embrace Islam. The organisation identified the accused as Sadarul Anam, a classmate from Kerala’s Malappuram district, and alleged that the crime followed his failed love jihad attempt.

The ABVP appealed to the Central and State governments to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident and urged the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy to pursue the matter with the Uzbek authorities to ensure that the accused is brought to justice.

The motive behind the student’s death remains under investigation by the authorities in Uzbekistan.

The deceased hails from the constituency of Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, who has assured the family that justice will be delivered. The Kerala Police has registered a case according to the provisions of the BNS Act.

–IANS

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