The Kerala Police have registered a case against SFI state president K Anusree and eight others for their "dangerous act" of burning a huge effigy of Governor Arif Mohammed Khan "using petrol" at Payyambalam beach on Sunday evening.

The police said on Monday that the SFI leaders have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (punishment for rioting) and 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible).

The Kannur town police registered the case on its own after the SFI burnt the 30ft tall effigy of the Governor at the beach on the eve of New Year, accusing him of "communalising" the state's education sector.

The 30ft tall effigy bearing the likeness of Khan was set ablaze by Anusree, as fellow members of the student organisation raised slogans.

The SFI said the protest was organised against the nomination of Hindu right wing activists to university senates in the state by Khan in his capacity as the chancellor of universities.

There have been verbal duels between the Governor on one side and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the SFI on the other around the issue of appointments made by Khan to the senate of some universities in the state.

Khan has claimed that he is being attacked because the state government and the SFI no longer have control over the universities in the state, citing a recent Supreme Court order quashing the reappointment of Gopinath Ravindran as the Vice-Chancellor of Kannur University.

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