Dheeraj died of deep stab wound to heart, states postmortem report

Thodupuzha: Students' Federation of India activist Dheeraj died of a deep stab wound in the heart, states postmortem report.

The 21-year-old student was stabbed allegedly by a Youth Congress worker outside the Government Engineering College, Idukki, on Monday.

The postmortem report claims that Dheeraj's heart chambers were ruptured in the attack. He also had bruises from being assaulted and an injury to his head.

'Students not culprits'

Meanwhile, the Idukki Superintendent of Police R Karuppasamy said that those who were arrested in relation with the case were not the students of the college.

The SP said that more people are in custody and some more are under the scanner. So far, three people have been arrested by the Kerala Police. They are Youth Congress' Vazhathoppu block president Nikhil Paili, Jerin Jojo and Alex Raphael.

Dheeraj was stabbed during a clash between the Students Federation of India (SFI) and Kerala Students Union (KSU) during the college union elections. He was a seventh-semester Computer Science student.

Two other SFI members – Abhijit T Sunil, 21, of Thrissur and A S Amal of Kollam, 23 – were also critically injured in the attack and have been hospitalised.

Reports said the activists of the two organisations, SFI and KSU, clashed during the student body union election, leading to the murder. (SFI is the student wing of the CPM, and KSU of the Congress.) SFI has been ruling the student union of the college for years.

The Kerala Technology University (KTU) vice-chancellor has asked the college authorities to suspend the student election in the wake of the incident.

Dheeraj was a native of Palakkulangara near Thaliparamba in Kannur. Though he was rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital, Idukki, his life could not be saved.

His funeral is set to held on Tuesday evening.