Untitled Document

Front Page

Student dies, University in turmoil
By Harinda Vidanage
The Sri Jayawardenepura University was plunged into deeper crisis yesterday with the death of a student who had been brutally attacked in a row over ragging. Vice Chancellor E. Epitawatte said they had shut down the university because they did not want to leave room for the training of killers or for torture while an angry Tertiary Education minister Kabeer Hasheem charged that weapons were being smuggled into Universities and some parties were trying to turn universities into political hotbeds.

Samantha Vithanage, a third year student of the University's Management Faculty died yesterday after he was severely assaulted in a lecturer's room allegedly by a pro-ragging group who broke in while the lecturer was trying to settle a dispute over a ragging incident.

Minister Hasheem said he had held crisis talks with Police Chief T.E. Anandarajah and the police would be called in to play a major role in maintaining security at the university.

The government also tried to bring up the issue in Parliament yesterday during the budget debate but it was opposed by the JVP and the PA with the Speaker upholding the objection.

The Vice Chancellor describing the situation as "extremely critical said it had gone out of control and he had no option but to call in the police to restore order."He told The Sunday Times that lecturers and students had seen student leaders leading the mob which attacked other students, one of whom died yesterday.

Minister Hasheem said he believed the incidents were not spontaneous but were politically motivated and instigated by interested parties. According to students of the university, the incident took place within a lecturer's office room. The lecturer Dr. Neville Warnakulasuriya was trying to mediate between two groups of students who were identified as raggers and anti-raggers to solve a verbal argument when a mob broke down his door and started attacking the anti ragging students indiscriminately.

The students had been severely beaten even when they had lost consciousness. The lecturer too was also slightly injured.

Back to Front Page