The perceived delay in arresting the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists accused of manhandling a Campus Front activist at the University College here last month had prompted the organisation’s supporters to storm the University Student’s Centre at PMG Junction and grievously injure a few SFI activists who were sleeping there last week.
The police said they had identified at least 10 persons, all hardcore activists of the front and its parent organisation, suspected to be responsible for the attack. They said one of them had carried out similar attacks against certain political opponents of the same organisation in other districts in the State. The gang was based in Vembayam and some of its members were accused in hurt cases, mostly of a political nature.
Certain district and State-level office-bearers of the Campus Front were involved in the conspiracy and would be arrested soon.
The smouldering hostility between the organisations touched a new zenith on last Thursday night when an eight-member gang of masked men stormed the Student’s Centre and hacked several SFI activists there. A tense situation still prevailed on college campuses in the district with the rivalry between the organisations threatening to spiral out of control.
