Oil attack on IAS officer: Students approach high court

KOCHI: Five engineering college students who are the accused in the case of pouring used motor oil on higher secondary education director Keshavendra Kumar IAS and his office on February 5, approached the Kerala high court on Thursday challenging their suspension by the college principal.
In the petition filed through advocate C Khalid, it is alleged that their suspension was ordered by the under secretary of higher education department, based on instructions from the principal secretary of the department.
Legal validity of the suspensions imposed by the principal of PA Azeez College of Engineering and Technology at Karakulam in Thiruvananthapuram for an act that allegedly took place outside the college campus is being challenged by the students.
Those who approached the high court are O V Shanuras of Irikkur, I P Abdul Sadiq of Trippangot in Malappuram, C H Abinas of Ernakulam, S Ansar of Karunagappally and Shameem Muhammed of Thottappankulam in Sulthan Bathery.
Shanuras, Sadiq, Abinas, and Ansar are sixth semester students while Shameem is an eighth semester student. The students have claimed in the petition that they were only "unfortunate spectators of a protest" conducted by KSU leaders Sippi Noorudheen, Raju Sreelal and Vignesh. They are innocent and haven't committed any offence. They were induced by the KSU leaders "to watch the agitation and demonstration before the higher education directorate and presentation of memorandum" protesting fee hike, the students claim.
The petitioners were neither aware nor did they anticipate the intentions of the KSU leaders and concealment of waste engine oil in their bags for the purpose of spilling it on the shirt of the officer or over the records on the table, the petition stated.