The Loyola College management, which pledged to pay ₹1 crore as compensation for the student’s death as a result of their alleged negligence and violation of the law, has been delaying payment to the deceased student’s parents, according to reports. The parents of the students have now stated that they will initiate a lawsuit against the administration of Loyola College and its principal, Rev Dr A. Thomas, SJ.
Samuel, a Loyola College student, was in his first year of MA Economics. The national welfare program committee of the Loyola college had planned to hold a special camp in the Vizhupuram district on its behalf. For that purpose, on February 28, 2023, at 7 AM, five college professors officially took more than 50 students from Loyola College, Nungambakkam, Chennai to Vizhupuram by college bus.
The professors instructed the bus driver to return to campus from Vizhupuram with the bus as the camp would not be over in a single day. Later, at 6 PM, professors from Loyola College and another private college in the area rented a cargo vehicle, Mahindra Magic, to take the students to the camp in Alambatti village near Thirukovilur.
More than 30 students were forced to travel in a cargo vehicle that is unsafe for human travel. The Loyola faculty then rented a car to get to the camp. They also directed the cargo vehicle’s driver, Manivannan, 23, son of Ezhumalai from Chitthaamoor village, to return to the same location to pick up another 25 students who were waiting.
According to reports, the cargo vehicle that carried more than 30 students was in poor condition, and the driver lost control of the vehicle on a sharp bend in the road, causing the vehicle to capsize.
Over 20 students were severely injured and were rushed to Vizhupuram Government Hospital for treatment. A heavy blow to the the head rendered a student identified as Samuel unconscious on the spot. He was rushed to the hospital but died on the way.
The college administration called Samuel’s father and informed him that his son met with an accident and was severely injured. They additionally urged him to get to Vizhupuram Hospital as soon as possible.
When Samuel’s parents arrived at the Vizhupuram government hospital, the college management informed him that his son had died. The relatives of the deceased student immediately gathered in front of the Loyola College campus in Chennai.
The college principal, Thomas, advised the parents of the deceased student not to cause a fuss and urged them to collect the student’s body. They promised to assist the family in whatever way they could. Following the assurance given by Loyola College principal Thomas, the parents of the deceased student consented to the post-mortem at the government hospital in Villupuram, collected the body, and buried it in Kilpakkam, Chennai.
When the principal, Thomas, went to the deceased student’s house, at his request, the parents told him that they needed ₹1 crore in compensation and a job for the deceased student’s sister, who had finished an MBA degree. Principal Thomas, who agreed to the compensation, paid ₹15 lakhs in advance.
Later, when the parents went to meet with the principal Thomas to demand the remaining compensation, he dodged them. Another member of the college management informed the parents that he will speak with principal Thomas and get back to them as soon as possible about the pending compensation.
Despite the fact that the student died more than a month ago, the parents of the deceased student have not received a response from management or Principal Thomas. The parents of the deceased student have stated that they intend to file a complaint alleging that the Loyola college management cheated them by asking them to bury their son in exchange for money.
The parents claimed that the college management violated the Motor Vehicle Act by using a cargo vehicle to transport people, which resulted in their son’s death. They have urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and the Minister for Higher Education Ponmudi to intervene in the matter and take action against the Loyola College administration.
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