Valentine, a 22-year-old BTech student from Mizoram, was stabbed to death near his college in Nagaroor on Saturday night, in a tragic incident that has raised renewed concerns over campus safety in Kerala.
Valentine was studying at the Rajadhani Institute of Engineering and Technology. According to police, the prime suspect—also a Mizoram native and a batchmate—has been taken into custody at the scene of the crime.
The attack occurred around 10:30 PM on February 22, just 200 meters from the college campus. Locals quickly alerted authorities after discovering the severely injured student. Valentine was first taken to a nearby hospital and later shifted to KIMS Hospital, where he died early Sunday morning.
Preliminary investigations suggest that a personal altercation between the two students, possibly fueled by alcohol, may have led to the stabbing. Both individuals had previously been expelled from the college hostel for repeated misconduct and disputes.
Police said the suspect was apprehended immediately at the crime scene. An investigation is ongoing to determine the exact sequence of events and motive.
This latest incident adds to a growing list of violent confrontations on Kerala’s college campuses. In recent years, three student murders have rocked the state:
Abhimanyu, an SFI leader from Maharaja’s College, Kochi, was killed in 2018, allegedly by members of the Campus Front.
P. Dheeraj, an SFI leader from Idukki Engineering College, was fatally stabbed in 2022, allegedly by KSU activists.
KS Sidharthan, a student at Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Wayanad, died in 2023 in a suspected ragging-related murder involving SFI members.
According to data presented in the Kerala Assembly, campus violence has sharply increased since 2016. Between May 2016 and June 2024, police registered 500 cases of student violence, including three murders. A staggering 3,183 students were booked during this period.
The student organizations most frequently named in these cases include SFI (270 cases), KSU (112), ABVP, MSF, AISF, and Campus Front.
Valentine’s death has once again brought student safety into sharp focus. Authorities are urging educational institutions to strengthen campus monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to prevent further tragedies.
