The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) is once again in the spotlight for campus violence, with the latest incident occurring at the Kariavattom campus of Kerala University, Thiruvananthapuram. A first-year Bio-chemistry student, Bins Jose, was subjected to a brutal physical assault on February 11 by SFI leaders Alan, Aanatham Velu, Shravan, Salman, Immanuel, and Pardhan. Following the incident, all six have been suspended from the college, and the police have registered a case against them.
On the same day, Bins Jose’s friend, Abhishek, also sustained injuries in an attack by senior students. According to reports, the gang initially came in search of Abhishek but later targeted Bins Jose, accusing him of disrespecting them. They dragged him to the ‘SFI room’ on campus, where they forced him to kneel on the floor. When he resisted, they physically subdued him and began assaulting him.
Jose, writhing in pain, pleaded for water, but the attackers reportedly spat into a bottle before forcing him to drink from it. The assault continued for nearly an hour, during which he was beaten with hockey and cricket bats. The attackers also threatened him with further violence if he reported the incident.
Despite the threats, Jose filed a complaint with the college principal and the local police station. While Abhishek, fearing repercussions, withdrew his complaint, Jose remained firm. His complaint was later handed over to the College Anti-Ragging Committee, which initially attempted to shield the accused. However, after widespread outrage, the committee reviewed CCTV footage and witness statements, ultimately confirming that ragging had indeed taken place.
Although cases have been registered, no arrests have been made so far. The incident adds to a long list of SFI-linked campus ragging cases, reflecting a disturbing pattern of violence and intimidation in Kerala’s academic institutions. The episode also evokes parallels with the state’s recurring political clashes, where the CPI(M) remains a common denominator in incidents of unrest.
Recently, Kerala witnessed a ragging case in which five third-year nursing students at Government Nursing College, Kottayam, were arrested for allegedly ragging first-year students over two months. The accused reportedly extorted money, inflicted physical injuries, and forced the victims to record the abuse.
