Thiruvananthapuram: SFI Thiruvananthapuram district secretary Nandan has alleged that Cantonment Sub-Inspector Gokul threatened him over the phone amid the escalating confrontation between the CPM-SFI and the police in the capital.

According to Nandan, the SI called him and issued the threat after SFI leaders announced that they would organise a march towards the police officer’s residence.

In a purported audio clip that has surfaced, a voice identified as that of SI Gokul is heard telling Nandan that if the SFI proceeds with a march to his house, he would come to the party office and nab him.

The latest allegation comes a day after a major controversy erupted over remarks made by CPM Thiruvananthapuram district secretary and MLA V Joy against SI Gokul during a CPM march to the Secretariat.

How the row began
The confrontation between the CPM-SFI and the police intensified following a clash at the University Men’s Hostel in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday night. The CPM and SFI alleged that Cantonment CI Satheesh Kumar and SI Gokul entered the hostel and assaulted SFI activists. They subsequently demanded disciplinary action against the two officers and organised protest marches to the Secretariat.

During the CPM march on Thursday, V Joy, while addressing Cantonment Assistant Commissioner V Jayachandran, was heard referring to the possibility of a murder if the situation continued. The remarks, apparently directed in the context of SI Gokul, triggered a political controversy after the video circulated on social media. Joy later denied that he had issued a death threat.

Cantonment Police subsequently booked V Joy and CPM State Committee member Kadakampally Surendran in connection with the alleged threats against CI Satheesh Kumar and SI Gokul.

The controversy escalated further after SFI leaders also publicly warned that the two police officers would be confronted on the streets. Police had tightened security at the residence of CI Satheesh Kumar in Myladi, Kattakada, following the threats and alleged cyber attacks targeting the officers.

The latest allegation by Nandan adds another layer to the confrontation between the student organisation and the police, with both sides now making allegations of threats amid heightened tensions in the capital.

(The authenticity of the audio clip has not been independently verified by Onmanorama)