Kerala 'revenge' story: 52 years after school tiff, 60-year-old men assault old classmate

Two elderly men in Kasaragod were booked for allegedly attacking their former Class 4 classmate over a decades-old school quarrel. The victim, VJ Babu, suffered injuries and lost two teeth after being confronted and assaulted by the accused.

Kasaragod: A decades-old quarrel in school has resurfaced dramatically, landing two elderly men in legal trouble. A 62-year-old man and his school friend were booked for allegedly attacking their Class 4 classmate. The accused were identified as Balakrishnan (62), of Maloth House, Kasaragod, and his former classmate Mathew Valiyaplackkal. Vellarikundu police identified the victim as VJ Babu.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the trio were classmates at Natakkallu Aided UP School in Malom. Babu claims the attack was a result of a grudge Balakrishnan held since he was beaten up during a quarrel in their school days.

On Monday around 1 p.m., Babu was confronted by Balakrishnan and Mathew in Malom town. Balakrishnan allegedly grabbed Babu by the collar while Mathew struck him on the face and back with a stone, leading to injuries. Babu lost two teeth and was admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Pariyaram, Kannur.

Police have registered a case against the two under sections 126(2), 118(1), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Vellarikundu SHO T K Mukundan said the investigation is ongoing. Babu has expressed willingness to settle the case if the accused pay him ₹1.5 lakh as compensation.