Controversy over attack on police officer by SFI members in Kerala

The alleged assault on a police officer by Students Federation of India (SFI) members at a shopping mall in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday (February 15, 2026) kicked up a controversy with conflicting views on the issue from across the political spectrum. While Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan and the Kerala Police Association condemned the assault, Kerala Students Union (KSU) State vice-president Arun Rajendran said that such action is par for the course against “criminals” in the police force.

A video of the SFI activists following civil police officer Midhun Roy inside the shopping mall and getting into a fight with him surfaced online on Saturday leading to criticism against the Left student organisation. The SFI members had allegedly attacked the police officer in retaliation against an attack on one of their members on Shanghumughom Beach on New Year eve. A video of the incident shows the police officer hitting a youth on the head using a baton. Flex boards also surfaced in Nettayam accusing the police officer of posing danger to the people in an inebriated state.

Condemning the attack on the police officer as shocking and deeply disturbing, the Kerala Police Association said that that the attack was an insult to Kerala’s democratic and progressive values. The association said in a statement that the attack was part of attempts to spread lawlessness in society. It urged political parties and the public to collectively oppose attacks on police personnel.

Lashing out against the State government over the lack of stringent action against SFI members, Mr.Satheesan said that the Home department has degenerated into a mafia group that provides protection to criminals.

“The video shows SFI activists following a policeman inside the mall, provoking him, surrounding him and beating him. Yet a non-bailable case was filed against the policeman who was beaten up. His sister, who was with him, was also made an accused. The allegation is that both of them attacked with weapons. Meanwhile, only trivial sections were filed against the SFI gang that followed and attacked him. What kind of justice is this? This is not the first incident where Pinarayi Vijayan has protected CPI(M) criminal gangs,” alleged Mr. Satheesan.

However, KSU leader Arun Rajendran took a divergent view and said that the “khaki” should not be a license to attack others. “The reports claim that it is an attack on police by a group of SFI activists. However, it is far from the truth. During the New Year event, despite the youth claiming that he was a mic operator, the police officer hit him on the head in front of his mother. He was hospitalised for days. In my opinion, this blow is a response to the khaki-clad thugs who are attacking youth with lathi,” he said.