A group of SFI activists in a Kerala college stabbed a fellow comrade after an argument over singing in the institute’s canteen but the assault over a minor disagreement has unravelled what is being seen as a major question paper scam involving Left sympathisers.
Police found answer sheets of the University of Kerala from the home of one of the six arrested accused and seized a rubber stamp of the physical education director of University College, one of the oldest and most prestigious academic institutions in the state.
More answer sheets and a rubber stamp of the head of the botany department were found in the SFI office on the college campus in state capital Thiruvananthapuram, indicating a larger scam.
The SFI is the student wing of the CPM, which leads the state’s ruling Left Democratic Front.
Governor P. Sathasivam has sought a report from the University of Kerala, the varsity the college is affiliated to.
“Sought an urgent report from Vice Chancellor, University of Kerala on the reported seizure of bundles of university answer sheets & seal of Dir, Physical Education from the house of an accused in the murder attempt,” the governor tweeted on Tuesday.
The arrested suspects — R. Sivaranjith, Nazeem, Adhil, Aromal, Nijab and Advaith, all SFI activists — had assaulted Akhil on Friday after he didn’t heed their demand that he stop singing in the college canteen. It led to an argument that ended when the college’s SFI unit president, Sivaranjith, stabbed Akhil in the upper abdomen. Akhil survived after being rushed to hospital.
The police issued a lookout notice after Akhil’s parents — both diehard CPM members — urged the government to act fast.
Police arrested four of the suspects on Sunday and two on Monday. All six have been booked for attempted murder and sent to judicial custody till July 29.
As the investigators probed deeper they found that Sivaranjith had ranked first in the Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) exam for recruitment of police constables. Nazeem too was on the list of those who had cleared the exam. Both were expecting postings shortly.
Further investigations unearthed the answer sheets of the university and the rubber stamps of the college that was established in 1886 by the then ruler of Travancore, Sri Ayilyam Thirunal Rama Varma Maharaja, to impart English education to the masses.
Sources said the police probe would examine if anyone from the college had helped the SFI activists get the answer sheets and the rubber stamps.
The KPSC has suspended the appointment of both Sivaranjith and Nazeem. “We have ordered a vigilance inquiry to see if there has been any malpractice by the two accused who are in the rank list,” KPSC chairman M.K. Zakeer told reporters.
The sports certificate Sivaranjith had submitted for the police exam is now suspected to be fake. Sivaranjith had scored 91.91 per cent in the exam, including 13.58 he got as weightage for sports.
Sources said some students from the college had complained to the institute’s authorities that SFI activists often scored high in exams although they were never seen in class.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has promised stringent action against all the accused. “What has happened is something that should never have happened in an educational institution. So the government has launched stringent action. There will be no laxity in taking action against the culprits,” he told reporters on Monday.
As outrage over the incident spread Opposition parties ripped into the Left government. “First accused is first rank holder,” ridiculed Congress leader and former chief minister Oommen Chandy.
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala accused the CPM of transforming SFI activists into goons. “The main culprits are the CPM leaders who transformed SFI activists into goons that they could use any time,” he said. “They are destroying the education system of the state by collecting answer sheets.”
The SFI has since suspended the college unit committee and tendered an apology.
