The alleged assault on a police officer by members of the Students Federation of India (SFI) at a mall in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday (February 15, 2026) has sparked a controversy with opposing views on the issue across the political spectrum. While Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan and the Kerala Police Association condemned the attack, Kerala Students Union (KSU) state vice-president Arun Rajendran said such action was par for the course against “criminals” in the police force.
On Saturday, a video surfaced online showing SFÚ activists following civilian police officer Midhun Roy inside a mall and engaging in a fight with him, leading to criticism from the student organization Left. SFI members allegedly assaulted a police officer in retaliation for an attack on one of their members at Shanghumughom Beach on New Year’s Eve. A video of the incident shows the policeman hitting the young man on the head with a baton. Flex boards also appeared in Nettayam accusing the policeman of posing a danger to people in a drunken state.
The Kerala Police Association condemned the attack on the policeman as shocking and deeply disturbing and said the attack was an affront to the democratic and progressive values of Kerala. The association said in a statement that the attack was part of attempts to spread injustice in society. He called on political parties and the public to collectively oppose attacks on police officers.
Hitting out at the state government for lack of strict action against SFI members, Mr.Satheesan said that the home ministry has degenerated into a mafia group that provides protection to criminals.
“The video shows the SFI activists chasing the policeman inside the mall, provoking him, surrounding him and beating him up. Yet the beaten policeman was given a non-bailable trial. His sister who was with him was also accused. The charge is that they both attacked with weapons. Meanwhile, only trivial parts of the gang that attacked him have been filed and this is not the first case against the SFI gang. Pinarayi Vijayan sheltered CPI(M) criminal gangs,” alleged Mr. Satheesan.
However, KSU leader Arun Rajendran took a different view and said that ‘khaki’ should not be a license to attack others. “Reports claim that this is an attack on the police by a group of SFÚ activists. However, this is far from the truth. During the New Year event, although the young man claimed to be a microphone operator, a policeman hit him on the head in front of his mother. He was hospitalized for several days. In my opinion, this blow is a reaction to thugs in khaki clothes who attack the young man with a lathi.
Published – 15 Feb 2026 20:53 IST