NIT Calicut Professor Stabbed by Former Classmate on Campus; Motive Under Scrutiny

In an unsettling turn of events, a former classmate attacked NIT Calicut assistant professor Jayachandran on campus, leaving the faculty member with minor injuries. The incident, reported by Onmanorama, unfolded as Vinod, hailing from Salem in Tamil Nadu, entered the NIT campus under the guise of a student. The motive behind the attack remains elusive, and Vinod is currently in police custody.

Not long after the incident, Jayachandran, a faculty member at NIT Calicut’s Department of Civil Engineering, was admitted to a private hospital and is currently in stable condition. Vinod posed as a student and got unauthorised entrance to the NIT campus. Upon reaching the Department of Civil Engineering, a heated argument erupted in Jayachandran’s office. In a fit of rage, Vinod resorted to violence, using a pen-knife from the professor’s desk to stab him in the neck and stomach. Jayachandran was saved by security guards who intervened quickly to control the attacker.

Authorities are now grappling with understanding the motive behind Vinod’s attack, as he has provided conflicting statements during police interrogation. Initially claiming to be a former NIT student, Vinod later asserted that both he and Prof Jayachandran were classmates pursuing PhD under the same guide at the IIT- Madras. According to an officer cited by Onmanorama, Vinod alleges that the assault was driven by Jayachandran withholding some of his medical certificates, a claim yet to be verified.

Police sources reveal that Vinod asserted completing the course with Jayachandran, with each taking different paths afterwards. Vinod secured a position as an assistant professor in a private engineering college in Andhra Pradesh, while Jayachandran landed a post at NIT. The complexity deepens as Vinod recounts financial assistance from Jayachandran during a recent cardiac arrest, claiming that essential documents for his institute were with the professor. When Jayachandran refused to relinquish these documents, Vinod, fueled by anger, resorted to stabbing him. The police investigation continues to unravel the layers of this perplexing incident.