7 students suspended for ragging junior at Kerala college; Opposition alleges SFI’s role

Police have registered a case against seven students.

Seven students from Kariavattom Government College in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, were suspended for ragging and assaulting a first-year student.

The incident came to light after the victim, a biotechnology student, lodged a formal complaint with the college principal on February 12, claiming that he was physically assaulted and abused by senior students, the Times of India reported.

According to the college authorities, the incident took place when the victim was ambushed in a room by seven senior students, who brutally attacked him. The college’s anti-ragging committee conducted an investigation and confirmed that this was likely a case of ragging.

In his complaint, the student detailed a disturbing sequence of events. He said he was forced to kneel, beaten severely, and made to drink water that had been spat into by the seniors.

The victim further claimed that the assault took place in the unit room of the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the ruling CPIM.

Police have also registered a case against the seven students. Six of them were third-year students, while the seventh was a second-year student.

The incident in Kariavattom has sparked political reactions. BJP state president K Surendran condemned the Students Federation of India (SFI) for its alleged involvement in such ragging activities. He argued that SFI members should be labeled anti-social elements due to their reported involvement in numerous ragging cases across educational institutions.

Congress-led UDF also raised concerns, alleging that the accused students were linked to the SFI. Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan accused the ruling government of trying to protect those involved, despite their affiliations with the left-wing student organisation.

This assault marks the second ragging incident to surface in Kerala in recent weeks. Just a week ago, a similar horrific case emerged from a government nursing college in Kottayam, where junior students were tortured with stationery and dumbbells. A video of the abuse, which shocked the public, led to the suspension of five students.