The Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) has started probing into the death of J S Sidharthan who was found hanging at the hostel of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) campus at Pookode in Wayanad.

A four-member team led by SP Sundarvel reached the KVASU campus at Pookode in Wayanad on Saturday after the Central government issued a notification for a CBI investigation into the death of Sidharthan.

The CBI on Friday issued a notification announcing the takeover of the case close on the heels of the Kerala High Court order directing the Central agency to take over the case.

The high court on Friday urged the Union government to notify a CBI probe into the death of the veterinary student immediately. A single bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas said delay can defeat the ends of justice and affect the entire investigation and urged the Union government to issue notification under Section 5 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act without delay for entrusting the investigation into the death of Sidharthan with the CBI.

The agency has re-registered the FIR filed at the Vythiri police station in Waynad against 20 people, after receiving the notification from the Centre in this connection.

The accused have been booked under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy, abetment to suicide, wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt, and Kerala’s anti-ragging law.

The CBI team met the Kalpetta DySP, who had probed the case initially and collected information on the case.

The CBI has summoned Sidharthan’s father Jayaprakash to record his statement on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) decided to intervene in the case amid mounting political pressure. It is learned a team of NHRC officials will reach the veterinary university campus at Pookode for evidence collection on Monday. The team will be at the campus for five days. Teaching and non-teaching staff will be interrogated during the team’s five-day visit.

J S Sidharthan, a second-year veterinary student at the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Pookode campus in Wayanad, was found dead inside the hostel after a brutal ragging and assault allegedly by the SFI leaders on February 18. Sidharth was reportedly beaten up by SFI leaders at four places in the college premises. However, the SFI has denied the allegations.