Panamaram: The principal of the CM College in Nadavayal has been suspended following a scuffle with the Kerala Students’ Union (KSU) activists.

College principal Dr A P Shariff got into an altercation with the KSU activists, who turned up at the college to call for a strike as part of the statewide education bandh on Tuesday. Amid this, the principal recorded a video on the mobile phone which was questioned by the KSU members, leading to the scuffle. The footage shows the principal beating KSU Bathery block secretary Steljin Johnny, who tried to stop him from recording the video, and the ensuing scuffle.

Subsequently, more KSU activists turned up and besieged the college authorities, demanding that the principal be suspended and that he should tender a public apology in front of the students. They also demanded that the students who were expelled from the college recently should be reinstated.

The Panamaram police filed a case against the principal based on the complaint by Steljin. The management also said that the principal has been suspended pending inquiry.

Following the scuffle, more police personnel from the Panamaram, Kenichira and Meenangadi stations rushed to the spot.

Meanwhile, the principal has said that outsiders tried to create ruckus, and that he was only defending himself when attempts were made to knock off the mobile phone and attack him.