KOCHI: Two weeks on, S S Girisankar, an associate professor of Government Law College in Ernakulam, is yet to recover from the shock of getting attacked by a student of the college and the youth’s friend at the college hostel.
The 55-year-old teacher said he had gone to the hostel on January 17 to ask the seventh semester student Jerry Thomas, 22, of Kulathada in Wayanad, and his friend Arshad, a former student and Ernakulam native, to vacate the hostel room. The duo had been living there despite the government directive to close down hostels owing to the surge in Covid cases.
“There was a strict directive that the hostel should be shut down. I repeatedly urged the students to vacate, but the duo stayed put. When I went to enquire about it, they first abused me,” said Girisankar. “When I insisted that they vacate, Arshad charged at me with a blade, while Jerry tried to grab my hand. I somehow freed myself and left,” he said.
Following a complaint, the city police booked Jerry and Arshad for wrongful restraint, causing hurt to a public servant, obstructing him from discharging duty and attempt to commit culpable homicide. The college administration has launched a probe on Arshad’s stay at the hostel. “He is our former student and has been staying at the hostel illegally. He is getting some inside support,” said an administrative officer.
The duo is yet to be arrested.The additional sessions court on January 25 dismissed Jerry’s anticipatory bail plea. Jerry had argued that he was falsely implicated in the case. However, Judge Shibu Thomas said there was no reason to think the complaint (professor), would make a false accusation to humiliate and harass the accused.