Class 10 student succumbs to injuries after clash in Kerala

KOZHIKODE: A Class 10 student who suffered severe head injuries in a clash between students near a private tuition centre in this district succumbed to his injuries early on Saturday, police said.

Muhammed Shahabas, 16, who had been undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital, died around 1 am. Five students have been taken into custody in connection with the incident, and murder charges will be invoked against them.

They will be presented before the Juvenile Justice Board, they said. Muhammed Shahabas was on ventilator support, according to hospital sources. The altercation reportedly stemmed from a dispute during a farewell party at a tuition centre in Thamarassery on February 23.

The argument escalated, leading to another altercation on Thursday. General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Saturday directed the Director of General Education to initiate a departmental inquiry into the incident. In a statement, the minister expressed condolences over the student's death.

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"The police are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. Additionally, the Deputy Director of Education, Kozhikode, has submitted a preliminary report after an inquiry," he said. Students from two local schools were involved in the incident, which took place on Vezhuppur Road, Thamarassery, at around 5 pm on Thursday.

On Thursday evening, around 15 students, including Muhammed Shahabas, along with students from the tuition centre, confronted the other group, resulting in a violent clash, police said. Initially, Shahabas did not appear to have suffered serious injuries and was taken to Thamarassery Taluk Hospital.

However, after returning home, his condition worsened, and he was shifted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, where he remained in a coma.