20 injured in clash between lawyers & SFI activists at Kerala court

NEW DELHI: At least 20 people were injured after a clash broke out between a group of students, reportedly SFI activists, and lawyers inside the Ernakulam District Court premises, police said on Friday.
The incident took place during the District Bar Association’s annual celebrations.
According to police sources, 16 students believed to be SFI members and eight lawyers were hurt in the scuffle. Some police personnel who attempted to intervene and calm the situation were also injured during the altercation.
Lawyers accused the students of forcefully entering the venue and causing a disturbance. They alleged that the conflict began after students from Maharaja’s College entered the court complex where the celebration was being held.
However, the students claimed that the clash was provoked by the inappropriate behaviour of the lawyers. They alleged that some of the legal professionals, who were allegedly drunk, harassed female students, and attacked them when they objected.
Video footage of the incident emerged online on Friday, spreading across social media platforms.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan condemned the incident and urged the CPI(M) leadership to take control of its student wing. "The SFI activists disrupted the annual day celebrations after entering the venue, had food and misbehaved with the women there," he alleged.
He further appealed to the ruling party to withdraw its backing for the organisation. "I am kindly requesting the CPI(M) to withdraw from this act," Satheesan added.
So far, neither the CPI(M) nor the SFI has issued any official response to the incident.
Meanwhile, the Ernakulam District Bar Association called an urgent meeting to decide on future action. The Ernakulam Central Police stated that no FIR has been registered yet, though a preliminary inquiry is underway.