KOCHI: Tuesday's unveiling of the memorial of slain SFI leader Abhimanyu at the Ernakulam Maharaja's College is becoming a major controversy.
Kerala Students Union (KSU) took out a protest march on Monday demanding the arrest of his killers and conspirators instead of erecting the memorial.
They marched to the district collector's camp office alleging that the monument was unauthorised.
"The SFI is trying to make this opportunity for their gain by making a party martyr's memorial inside a government educational institution without the principal's permission," said KSU district president Aloysius Xavier.
"The party is using this opportunity to cover up the police failure in arresting all the accused. Even after a year, the probe team is not able to nab the main suspect."
Meanwhile, SFI accused the KSU of having vested interests in making this an issue when there is a tradition in this college of building a memorial when a student dies on the campus, and there are already three or more such memorials here.
The second-year B.Sc Chemistry student was stabbed to death by a 16-member gang on July 2. The probe team had earlier submitted the first set of charge sheet at the court against the 16 who directly took part in the crime and those who were at the crime scene.
They earlier said that a supplementary charge sheet would be lodged later. But now, they are of the view that it is not required as most of them are arrested and awaiting trial.According to the investigators, Sahal (21) who unleashed an attack on the SFI workers and stabbed Abhimanyu on his chest, is still at large.
Only two are on the run - Sahal and Shaheem, who was part of the assailant's gang. The trial will begin at Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court on Tuesday.
