Four SFI leaders held for stabbing college student in Kerala

Four Students Federation of India (SFI) leaders, accused of stabbing a student inside the University College campus here were arrested on Sunday, police said. Akhil, a third-year Political Science student, who was sitting under a tree along with friends, was stabbed in the chest on July 12.

Police had registered a case against over eight students including the college union leaders of the SFI. The incident was a sequel to a dispute between two groups of students belonging to the pro-CPI(M) students wing.

Police had issued a lookout notice against eight SFI college unit office-bearers. While four have been arrested, we are in search of the rest, investigating officer told PTI.

Earlier in the day, the police raided the house of a prime accused in the case, Shivranjith, and found four bundles of unused answer sheets of Kerala University. Shivranjith and Naseem are also rank holders in the Public Service Commission exam conducted for selecting Civil Police Officers (CPO) and were expecting to post soon.

The SFI leadership had yesterday suspended the college unit committee after the national leaders tendered an apology. Senior CPI(M) leaders have openly lashed out against the incident in the college campus, which has been the red fort of the CPI(M).

University College, Thiruvananthapuram is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher education in India, established in 1866 to impart English education to the common folk of erstwhile Travancore by Sri Ayilyam Thirunal Rama Varma Maharaja.