Engineering student killed in campus clash in Kerala

An engineering college student was allegedly killed in Idukki district of Kerala in clashes related to college union elections. The incident also triggered widespread tension in the state.

Dheeraj R, a student of the Government Engineering College at Painavu in Idukki was killed on Monday afternoon. Son of Rajendran of Taliparamba in Kannur, Dheeraj was a seventh-semester student of commuter science stream. He was an activist of the CPI(M)'s student outfit Students Federation of India. Another student also suffered serious injuries in the clashes.

The police held one person, identified as Youth Congress worker Nikhil P, in this connection.

SFI alleged that workers of Youth Congress and Kerala Students Union, the student outfits of Congress, were involved in the crime. A gang that came from outside led by a Youth Congress worker unleashed the attack without any provocation, SFI alleged.

College authorities said that the polling was over and the counting was about to begin when the incident occurred. Following the clashes the counting was put on hold.

The incident led to tension at various parts of Kerala with workers of CPI(M) and its feeder organisations staging protest marches at various parts of the state and causing destruction to flags and offices of Congress and its feeder organisations.

High tension prevailed at Malappuram district as the CPI(M) workers staged a protest march in front a venue of a Congress meeting attended by Congress state president K Sudhakaran. Congress workers also shouted slogans against the CPI(M). Police and senior party workers intervened to prevented a clash.

The vehicle of Lok Sabha MP N K Premachandran reportedly came under attack in Kollam district. KSU activists were injured in clashes with SFI workers at a campus in Kochi in this connection.

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