Thiruvananthapuram: A 22-year-old BTech student from Mizoram was tragically stabbed to death near his college in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
The victim, Valentine, was studying at Rajadhani Institute of Engineering and Technology in Nagaroor.
The police have taken into custody a fellow student from Mizoram in connection with the incident.
The attack took place around 10:30 pm on Saturday, February 22, at a junction approximately 200 meters from the college.
Locals immediately notified authorities, and the injured student was first transported to a nearby hospital before being transferred to KIMS Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on Sunday morning.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the stabbing may have stemmed from an altercation between the two students.
Sources indicate that the victim and the suspect had a history of frequent disputes, often after drinking alcohol.
Due to previous conflicts, both were expelled from the college hostel. The police confirmed that the suspect was apprehended at the scene, and further investigations are ongoing.
Campus violence has become an increasing concern in Kerala, with several student clashes escalating into fatal incidents.
While many of these cases are rooted in political rivalries, personal conflicts have also led to violence.
In recent years, Kerala has witnessed three high-profile student murders.
Abhimanyu, an SFI leader from Maharaja’s College in Kochi, was fatally stabbed, allegedly by members of the banned Islamic group Popular Front’s student wing, Campus Front. P. Dheeraj, an SFI leader from Idukki Engineering College, was also killed in a stabbing, allegedly by KSU activists.
KS Sidharthan from Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Wayanad died following a ragging incident involving SFI members.
According to official reports presented in the Kerala State Assembly, campus violence has been on the rise since 2016.
Between May 2016 and June 2024, police recorded 500 cases of student-related violence, including three murders.
The majority of these incidents involved the student wings of political parties: 270 cases were linked to SFI (CPI(M)-affiliated) activists, and 112 involved KSU (Congress-affiliated) activists. Other cases involved groups such as ABVP, MSF, AISF, and Campus Front.
Over the past nine years, 3,183 students have been charged in various violence-related cases, underscoring the growing unrest in Kerala’s educational institutions.
As authorities continue investigating Valentine’s murder, they are focusing on the events that led to the fatal confrontation.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing problem of campus violence in Kerala, raising serious concerns about student safety and law enforcement within educational institutions.
