Youth Congress worker Nikhil Paili on Monday was taken into custody in connection to murder of SFI worker Dheeraj Rajendran at Government Engineering College, Idukki. Eleven activists of KSU, Congress’ student wing, were injured in the clashes in Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam.
Dheeraj, a Kannur resident, was stabbed at around 1 PM on Monday. While he was immediately taken to hospital, he succumbed to the injuries. Two other SFI members, Abhijith and Amal were also critically injured and are currently hospitalised. As per police, college elections are underway and hence there have been clashes between various students’ organisations in past few days. As per students, it was the Youth Congress worker who attacked Dheeraj and stabbed him and then ran away from the place.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took to Facebook to condemn the murder of SFI worker and said that attempt to create riots in colleges will not be tolerated.
After SFI worker’s murder, CPM activists and its students’ wing took out protest marches across the state. This led to further clashes with Youth Congress workers. In Malappuram, Congress workers clashed with DYFI while Congress workers countered DYFI by raising slogans. In Kannur, SFI workers pelted stones at the Congress office. Windowpanes of Congress office at Thrichambaram were vandalised and flagposts dismantled.
Similarly, Congress office at Perambra in Kozhikode was also attacked and stones pelted. The SFI-DYFI workers also tried to vandalise Kollam MP N K Premachandran’s car at Chavara. Glasses and bonnet of the car was smashed.
