Malappuram: Police registered a case against 15 MSF activists for allegedly attacking SFI leaders at a hospital in Thenhipalam here in the early hours of Thursday, officials said.
The case was registered at the Tenhipalam police station based on a complaint by Adhil, the Students Federation of India (SFI) Malappuram district secretary, police said.
According to police, the incident occurred around 12.30 am when Adhil and SFI district president Sujith were visiting his party workers undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in clashes related to the Calicut University students' union election held the previous day.
Police said that as many as 15 Muslim Students Federation (MSF) activists, allegedly driven by political animosity, formed an unlawful assembly and entered the DMS Hospital at Mele Chelari armed with wooden logs, iron rods, nail-studded sticks, and bricks.
They allegedly attacked Adhil and Sujith, causing serious injuries.
Adhil’s two upper teeth were broken, and he suffered a fracture in his left forearm as well as a head injury, while Sujith sustained fractures to his nasal bone, the bone below his left eye, and his left palm, the FIR said.
The accused also allegedly attacked Athul and Jishnu, who were undergoing treatment at the hospital, police said.
Those named as accused include MSF district leaders P K Mubasheer, Safvan Pathan, Sufiyan Villaan, Farhan B M, Fuhad, Nishad, Ameen Rashid and Salavudeen, along with eight unidentified student activists.
Police also registered a separate case against unidentified persons following a complaint by the DMS Hospital under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act.
Police said clashes broke out between SFI activists and workers of the Kerala Students Union (KSU) and MSF on Wednesday evening, during which the Tenhipalam Station House Officer was injured.
Two cases were registered in connection with the violence on the campus during the election, officials added.
Responding to the attack on SFI activists, Leader of Opposition in Keralam Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday accused the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and its student wing MSF of unleashing violence on and off the campus, alleging that they were enraged by the SFI's victory in the Calicut University students' union election.
In a Facebook post, Vijayan said the alleged attack by a group of people, including MSF district office-bearers, on SFI district leaders who visited injured party workers at a hospital was shocking.
He said the video footage that had emerged showed only a small part of the incident, adding that people present at the hospital had said the violence by MSF workers was much more extensive.
He also criticised the police for allegedly protecting the attackers despite the availability of clear evidence and video footage, and demanded their immediate arrest.
The former Chief Minister said the belief that physical attacks could destroy the SFI was merely an illusion of the IUML and MSF.
He alleged that the RSS and Congress had jointly tried to eliminate the SFI, but such efforts had failed.
Vijayan said a strong public resistance would emerge against the violence, which he alleged was growing under the protection of the IUML.