SFI activist arrested for assaulting ex-diplomat

A day after former diplomat and vice-chairman of Kerala State Higher Education Council T P Sreenivasan was assaulted by a group of students here, the police arrested an SFI activist in connection with the assault. J S Sarath was arrested and handed over to Kovalam Police on Saturday; Sarath was earlier removed from the post of SFI Thiruvananthapuram district vice-president after widespread condemnation of the assault.

Sreenivasan was assaulted near the venue of a global education meet at Kovalam near here on Friday by activists of the CPM-affiliated students’ outfit who were protesting against commercialisation of the higher education sector. Television footage showed Sarath slapping Sreenivasan, bringing him down on the road, even as policemen looked on. Departmental action was also initiated against the policemen at the venue.