SFI worker stabbed to death in Kerala; one held

A worker of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the ruling CPI(M, was stabbed to death during a clash with the Kerala Students Union in Idukki on Monday, police said, adding that a Youth Congress worker has been arrested in connection with the matter

A worker of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the ruling CPI(M, was stabbed to death during a clash with the Kerala Students Union in Idukki on Monday, police said, adding that a Youth Congress worker has been arrested in connection with the matter.

SFI has asked its workers to boycott classes on Tuesday to protest against the attack. (HT File)

According to police, the clash broke out at the government engineering college in Idukki around 1 pm. They identified the deceased worker as Dheeraj Rajendran (21) a resident of Kannur.

Police identified the accused as youth Congress worker Nikhil Pyli.

Two other students also received stab wounds and they are out of danger, police said adding that college union elections led to the clash. College principal Dr K Jalaja said the clashes took place just outside the campus. University authorities have deferred the election after the incident.

“The incident happened at 1 pm after two groups of students entered into an argument, which resulted in clashes. Three students were stabbed and one succumbed to injuries. We have identified some of the attackers,” said a senior police officer of the district.

Later, SFI students allegedly attacked KSU workers in Maharaja’s College in Ernakulam injuring eight activists.

SFI president V P Sanu and senior CPI(M) leader M M Mani said youth Congress workers were behind the attack in which Dheeraj was killed. “It is a planned attack carried out by criminal elements in the Congress,” said Mani.

State higher education minister R Bindu condemned the killing of the student. The Congress and Youth Congress are yet to react.

SFI has asked its workers to boycott classes on Tuesday to protest against the attack. Protesting students also attacked the vehicle of N K Premachandran MP (RSP) near Kollam

Security has been tightened on many campuses in the state in view of the latest incident. Last month two state-level leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Social Democratic Party of India, the political wing of the Popular Front, were killed in retaliatory attacks in Alappuzha.