Kerala Police officer’s finger severed in barricade crush during SFI protest march
Thiruvananthapuram: A police officer sustained a permanent injury when the tip of his finger was severed during a violent clash with Student Federation of India (SFI) activists on Tuesday. The incident occurred during a protest march organised by the student wing towards the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) headquarters.
The injured officer has been identified as Achu (31), a Civil Police Officer (CPO) attached to the City Police AR Camp. His right ring finger got caught and crushed between the heavy iron frames of a police barricade while trying to hold back a surging crowd of student protestors.
Achu was immediately rushed by fellow officers to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital in an ambulance. He was later shifted to a private hospital for advanced specialist surgery to treat the severe trauma.
Protesters force entry into university campus
The SFI activists had organised the march from Sasthamkonam in Sreekaryam, demanding the immediate abolition of the controversial 'Year Out' system at the university. Anticipating trouble, the local police had set up heavy iron barricades outside the main gates of the Technological University headquarters to block the rally.
The situation quickly escalated into a physical confrontation when the protestors deliberately attempted to pull down, scale and force their way past the police barricades. It was during this intense melee and pushback that CPO Achu’s finger was trapped within the metallic joints of the shifting structure, severing its tip.
Despite police resistance, a section of the student activists successfully breached the security perimeter and swarmed into the university campus. However, the Vice-Chancellor was not present on the premises at the time.
Following the breach, SFI student leaders held emergency talks with the University Joint Registrar. The agitation was temporarily called off after university authorities provided a written assurance that a direct meeting would be held with the Vice-Chancellor on June 27 to find a resolution to the students' grievances.
Earlier, the protest march was officially inaugurated by SFI State Secretary P S Sanjeev. Addressing the gathering, Sanjeev warned that the student body would launch an indefinite strike unless the university management completely expels the 'Year Out' regulation from its academic bylaws.