In a letter dated March 12, Dr. Thomas expressed concerns about students possibly engaging in alcohol and drug consumption during the festivities. He highlighted reports of students collecting funds for these substances and requested increased police presence on campus to prevent such activities. Acting on this information, law enforcement conducted a raid on the 'Periyar' men's hostel on Thursday night. The operation, which began at 9 PM and concluded at 4 AM, resulted in the discovery of cannabis stored in small packets within hostel cupboards, along with an electronic weighing machine and three bottles of liquor. The seized ganja was reportedly packaged into small 10-gram packets intended for sale during the Holi celebrations.
The arrested students have been identified as Akash M from Kulathupuzha, Adithyan from Haripad, and Abhiraj R from Karunagappally. Akash was found in possession of approximately 1.9 kilograms of ganja, while Adithyan and Abhiraj had 9.7 grams each. Abhiraj, who serves as the college union general secretary and is affiliated with the Students' Federation of India , claimed that former students had planted the cannabis in their rooms to frame them. Following their arrests, the college's academic council convened an urgent meeting and decided to suspend the three students pending an internal investigation. However, they will be permitted to appear for their upcoming examinations. A four-member internal committee has been established to probe the incident, with instructions to submit its report within a week.
The college administration had been vigilant about the increasing drug menace on campus for several months. They had observed a surge in behavioral issues among students post-pandemic, with some cases linked to drug use. In response, the college initiated counseling sessions and introduced recreational activities such as farming and music to deter hostel students from substance abuse. In extreme cases, students were allowed to take a break from studies to attend de-addiction programs. Despite these efforts, the administration noticed former students frequently visiting the campus, suspected of supplying drugs. Ganja sales reportedly peaked during campus celebrations, prompting the administration to seek police intervention ahead of the Holi festivities.
The police operation also led to the detention of two former students, Aashiq and Sharik, suspected of supplying cannabis to the hostel. Their involvement came to light during the interrogation of the arrested students. Both individuals had graduated from the institution the previous year.
Higher Education Minister R. Bindu has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident. The college authorities have announced stricter measures to combat drug use on campus, to be implemented from the next academic year. They emphasized that such a large quantity of narcotics could not have been intended solely for the 60 students residing in the men's hostel, suggesting a broader network of distribution.