In a gruesome incident of campus rivalry at a self-financing college here, an engineering student from Kerala was killed while his friend escaped with grievous injuries near Rasipuram in the district on Thursday evening.
Superintendent of Police P Kannammal said, “P Deepak (20) and J Dinesh (19), both second year students of a self-financing engineering college near Andagalur Gate, were chased by a gang of seven other students of the same institution in car. After nearing the bike on which the duo was riding, one of the inmates of the car hit Deepak with an iron rod. In the impact, he lost control of the vehicle skidded on the road and hit boulders. Deepak died on the spot while Dinesh escaped with grievous injuries.”
Initially, police assumed that it was a hit and run case. However, the gang rivalry angle to the incident was revealed after a staff of the college, who was passing through the spot, noticed a car fleeing .
He noted down the number and passed it to the college authorities and then to the police.
On information, police launched a search and intercepted the car at a toll plaza in Omalur, Salem.
The Superintendent of Police said that M Ashwanth (20) from Calicut, Davis K Cherian (21) from Pathanamthitta, J Sebin John (20) from Kannur, J Danis Johns (21) from Kannur, A Sharath (20) from Malappuram, J Lijo Joseph (21) from Calicut and T Mithun Thomas (20) from Malappuram, who were in the car, were the seven students arrested in connection with the case. All the seven students belong to Kerala state.
Apart from Mithun Thomas, who was a second year student, all others were third year engineering students in the college.
Rasipuram Deputy Superintendent of Police S T Rajan said that the seven accused were booked under sections 147, 148, 302 and 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The students were staying in rented houses in Salem and used to go to the college in car.
Preliminary investigations revealed that a petty quarrel wthat had broken out in college while fetching water from a cooler had led to the murder.
“Deepak and Dinesh had forced their way to the cooler to collect water unmindful of their seniors standing there. A scuffle broke out with the seven students warning them of dire consequences,” the Deputy Superintendent of Police said.