Kerala University Youth Festival – Bribery allegations in youth festival; three judges arrested following allegations
The Kerala University Youth Festival faces a temporary suspension following protests sparked by allegations of bribery. The allegation was raised during the announcement of “Margam Kali” results at Thiruvananthapuram University College last night. Accusations emerged that Mar Ivanios College secured first place through unfair means.
Tensions escalated as contestants from three colleges engaged in a conflict following the result announcement. Apart from this, the contestants, alleging irregularities in the declaration of results in the “Thiruvathirakali” competition held at the Senate Hall yesterday, protested on stage. In response to this, the organising committee decided to freeze results across various competitions, including “Duff Muttu” and “Arabana Muttu”.
Today, three judges were arrested for taking bribes at the Kerala University Youth Festival. Shaji, Jibin, and Jomet were the judges who were arrested by the Cantonment Police. Their arrests were recorded after the appeal committee meeting, following a complaint filed by the Chairman of Kerala University.
The complaint alleges that during the university youth festival in Thiruvananthapuram, decisions regarding the winners of certain events were influenced by bribes. Specifically, bribery is alleged to have occurred during the ‘Margamkali’ event at the third venue of University College last night. Similar allegations of bribery were also raised regarding the ‘Thiruvathirakali’ performance.
However, all three judges maintain that they did not accept any bribes. The youth festival, which was suspended following the protest, resumed today at 4 pm. The appeal committee decided to re-stage ‘Margamkali’. The ‘Margamkali’ performance will take place again on Monday afternoon.
Prior to the bribery controversy, the festival faced criticism over its name, “Intifada.” After several protests and demands from Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Kerala University Vice Chancellor (VC) Mohanan Kunummal intervened, issuing an order to remove the name.
