According to Neeraj Sharma, Ranjan’s cousin, it was not a simple case of suicide. He said Ranjan’s death had a particular history of conflict and revenge. “It was a cold-blooded murder,” he was quoted in the media in Bangalore.He said Ranjan had a conflict with his senior and purported love rival Amruth and his gang. Ranjan and Amruth had locked horns over the same girl last year, Neeraj alleged.

The cousin recalled as to how Alok was left with broken jaws when he was assaulted by Amruth and his friends in March, last year. For four months after the brawl, he had to be fed through the nose. Amruth and his friends were arrested in that case only to be released later because of, what he said, their clout.According to him parents of some of the boys involved had threatened Ranjan with dire consequences as he had lodged criminal cases. Ranjan was later forced out of the college hostel.

The family alleged that authorities of the Nagarjuna College of Engineering, where Ranjan was studying, had discriminated against him.

Neeraj alleged that the college principal penalised Ranjan on Friday when he had a tiff with Amruth. Ranjan had spoken to his mother that afternoon and said he feared for his life. Family members also wanted to know as to why the police had not questioned Amruth or his girlfriend. They had not even questioned the college principal to whom Ranjan addressed a letter.

However, Deputy Superintendent of Railway Police Mir Arif Ali, was quoted in the media as saying that a case had been registered against some students for Ranjan’s mysterious death. He said the police would certainly question the students whose names Ranjan had mentioned in his letter, and would also question the boy’s friends, shortly.

Ranjan was cremated at the Hebbal crematorium in Bangalore on Sunday evening. Reports also said that as the family of Alok arrived in Bangalore on Sunday, his mother went hysterical upon seeing the disfigured body of her son. She embraced his body and beckoned him to get up.

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