Three days after a leader of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) was stabbed to death inside the campus of the Maharaja's College in Ernakulam, the Kerala police have detained 80 activists of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). The development lays bare the Popular Front of India (PFI) link to the gruesome murder, as SDPI is the political wing of the PFI which is being probed for terror links.

Police had earlier said the attack was allegedly carried out by activists of a pro-Islamic outfit and that two others were also injured in the incident that took place on Sunday night. The police had earlier said that the attack was carried out by workers of the Campus Front. Three workers of the PFI and the Campus Front had already been arrested in connection with the murder of 20-year-old Abhimanyu. The three have been sent to 14-days custody.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had taken a strong note of the incident and directed police to take strict action against the accused. The chief minister had called the murder a "planned" one. The CM had said as per preliminary investigation by the police, outsiders with extremist background had carried out the attack.

CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had alleged that SDPI workers attacked the SFI activists, claiming that attempts were underway to fuel violence in campuses.

The SDPI had earlier denied that the Campus Front was affiliated to it. However, the detention of SDPI activists clearly establishes the PFI link to the attack on the SFI leader.

Police initially suspected that around 20 people, most of who came from outside the campus, attacked the SFI activist. Police suspected that a row between student activists over the use of college walls had triggered the attack.

Abhimanyu was a second-year degree student at the Maharaja's College. He was a native of Vattavada in Idukki district and an SFI district committee member from Idukki.