TN Monkey Killing: CMC Vellore Students seek anticipatory bail

Tamil Nadu: An anticipatory bail has been moved for at the Vellore court by three of the four suspended students of Christian Medical College, accused for reportedly killing and burying a monkey on the college campus on November 19.

Read also:4 Students of CMC Vellore Suspended for torturing a monkey to death

The hearing on the anticipatory bail pleas has been fixed for December 3 by the Principal District and Sessions Court. The main accused, Jasper Samuel Sahu (20) moved court for bail on Tuesday While, Arun Louis Sasikumar and Rohit Kumar Yenokotti filed a plea for bail on Wednesday. The fourth Alex Chekkalayil, is listed for a bail hearing on Thursday.

A female Bonnet Macaque who entered their hostel room on the college campus at Bagyam was alleged to have been severely beaten by the students, who tied its limbs on its back and also knotted a telephone cable around the neck of the animal.It is further alleged that they also inserted a rod from behind, killing the animal professed to be a protected species under Schedule II (part 1) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

With the animal dead, they then proceeded to bury it behind the hostel mess on the campus premises.

However, as circumstance would have it, a student alerted a Mumbai-based animal activist, who in turn informed an animal activist in Chennai- Shravan Krishnan. A group of activists took swift action by informing the police attached to Bagayam station and the animal carcass unearthed on 22^nd November.

Police registered a case under section 429 (mischief by killing or maiming cattle etc. of any value or any animal of the value of fifty rupees) of Indian Penal Code read with Schedule II (part 1) 3 (a) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and also section 51 of the Act.

The CMC college administration placed the students under suspension, while the police wait for the post mortem and chemical analysis report.