KOCHI: Five students of the Kerala Students Union (KSU) at Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) suffered injuries in a clash with Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists outside the campus on Friday. The injured were treated at Kalamassery Medical College.
According to KSU workers, SFI activists attacked them without any provocation when they were having coffee in a cafe near the college at 4.30 pm. The Kalamassery police intervened and dispersed the students.
A case was registered against 15 senior students invoking IPC Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) and 294 (b) (sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place). The police also evicted students in the hostel. The college authorities declared a holiday for the college till Thursday.
“We won all four seats in the election for hostel representatives. SFI workers were not able to accept the outcome of the elections and they attacked KSU workers. They used iron rods to beat up innocent students,” said M Rahmathulla, an LLM student and senate member. He also alleged that the police were biased and did not take action against SFI activists.
“Instead of arresting attackers, the police used force to disperse students in the area. The police should check the CCTV camera and take action against the thugs who attacked us. The shop owners are reluctant to release the footage as SFI students and their protectors threatened the cafe owner,” he said.
T P Jibin, district vice-president, SFI, termed it a light clash between students. He also said all the other students’ unions on the campus were trying to portray the SFI in a negative manner.
“This is not a new issue here. KSU workers want to tarnish SFI’s image on the campus as well as in the state,” he said.On Friday night, KSU members took out a protest march to Kalamassery police station against the biased attitude of the police.