After a student was allegedly stabbed by Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists in the University College in Thiruvananthapuram, the police have arrested four accused, reports The New Indian Express.

Akhil Chandran, a third year student of Political Science, was stabbed in the chest on Friday. The incident reportedly involved dispute between two factions of the SFI, a leftist group affiliated to the ruling communist party in the state.

The four arrested are identified as Adwaith, Aromal, Adhil and Ijab. In total, the police had issued lookout notices against eight SFI workers, all office-bearers of the college unit. In the FIR it has been mentioned that two SFI leaders, Naseem and Amal, held Akhil while SFI college unit chief Sivaranjith stabbed him.

Interestingly, two prime accused Sivaranjith and Naseem are also rank-holders in state PSC exam, both awaiting to join the police services in the state. Naseem also has past criminal record and reportedly, he is close to the Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan.

A former student of the same college narrated her ordeal in a televised interview at the college. Due to torture by the SFI members, the girl, Nikhila, had attempted suicide, before dropping out of the college altogether. “SFI hooliganism is rife at the University College. If the principal had taken a more stringent stance, such instances would not have happened”, she said.

The SFI office at the campus is known as “torture room”. According to the student, the SFI members controlled all the activities of students on the campus, and forced them to become members of the group, work for them, participate in protest marches etc. Those who protested were threatened. She added that principal also was scared of them and didn’t take any action against them.

The police in the current case also said that the college authorities failed to report the stabbing incident promptly, and the victim Akhil was only taken to the hospital when the police arrived there.

The girl also claimed that the SFI members were free to bring a textbook or mobile to exam centres and copied freely from them. Unit members also lived in the unit room. Alcohol and drugs were used in the room. Janam TV had visited the union room and revealed that room indeed had weapons. The room had also bottles of alcohol as well as other signs that indicate the people have been living in the room, contrary to the claims made by police.

Kerala communist

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