Inter-college rivalry in Chennai leads to death of 19-year-old student

Chennai police have arrested five students from Pachaiyappa’s College in connection with Sundar’s death.

A 19-year-old student from Chennai’s Presidency College succumbed to injuries on Wednesday, after being attacked by a group of students from another college last week.

The incident has escalated tensions between the colleges and reignited concerns about student rivalries in the city.

The student, A Sundar, was attacked by students of Pachaiyappa’s College at a suburban railway station on October 4. Sundar, who hailed from Ponpadi village near Thiruthani in Thiruvallur district, was pursuing his first year in BA Political Science at Presidency College, Chennai.

The attack occurred on October 4, Friday, when Sundar was waiting to board a local train. A group of students from Pachaiyappa’s College allegedly surrounded him and beat him up over an ongoing rivalry related to territorial routes or ‘route Thala’ as it is called in the area.

Chennai police have arrested five students from Pachaiyappa’s College in connection with Sundar’s death. Those arrested include N Chandru, Yuvaraj, Eswar, Hariprasad, and Kamaleshwaran, all charged with murder based on a complaint filed by Sundar’s father.