Police have registered cases against nine students from both sides after a fight at a Halloween night party near Padma Junction on MG Road in Kochi allegedly left a 21-year-old junior student injured and a 24-year-old senior student accusing the other group of assault.
The incident took place during a Halloween celebration organised by students of a prominent accounting institute in Ernakulam, according to a report by Kerala Kaumudi. The Ernakulam Central Police said cases had been registered against nine people from the two groups.
The injured junior student, a native of Thrissur, was reportedly attending the night party with classmates when a group of seniors noticed him while he was dancing. The seniors allegedly called him to a corner and asked him to dance with them. The group was led by a 24-year-old student from Kollam, the report said.
The junior student allegedly declined and told the group that he would take a selfie before returning. According to the report, the senior student objected to this response and accused him of lacking manners. The junior was then allegedly made to bend over and was hit on the back by a group of four seniors.
The assault allegedly continued when the student tried to straighten himself. The report said an iron bangle was used during the attack, causing injuries to his left eye, right cheek and nose. Staff members of the institute reportedly reached the spot and separated the two groups. The junior student was allegedly pushed to the ground and kicked even after the staff intervened.
The senior student has filed a counter-complaint, alleging that he was assaulted by the junior student and some institute employees. The two sides have given different accounts of how the confrontation began. While the junior’s account centres on the alleged demand that he join the seniors’ dance, the report also cites a version that the dispute began after a senior student’s hand accidentally touched the Thrissur student during the dancing.
The police action covers both sides of the dispute rather than only the alleged initial assault. The report does not provide details of the sections of law applied, the nature of the injuries beyond the facial injuries described, or whether any arrests have been made.
The incident highlights the public-order responsibilities involved when student celebrations are held at commercial venues in busy central-city areas. MG Road and Padma Junction are among Kochi’s active urban spaces, where private events can quickly require intervention from venue staff and police when disputes escalate. In this case, institute employees were reportedly present and intervened before the police cases were registered.
The Ernakulam Central Police said the cases had been registered against nine people. Further action will depend on the investigation into the competing complaints and the evidence collected from the party venue and the participants.
