Chennai: Presidency College Student Dies After Attack By Students Of Another Institute, 5 Arrested

In response, Pachaiyappa’s College has declared a holiday until Monday.

The conflict reportedly stemmed from a "route thala" issue, a term unique to Chennai, where students from different colleges clash over dominance on specific bus or train routes.

Source : Special arrangement

Chennai news: A student from Presidency College succumbed to injuries sustained during an attack by a group of students from Pachaiyappa's College in Chennai on Wednesday. The victim, Sundar, an undergraduate political science student, passed away at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital following an attack at the Moore Market Complex.

Following Sundar’s death, five students from Pachaiyappa's College—identified as Eshwar, Chandru, Hariprasad, Kamaleshwar, and Yuvaraj—have been booked by the police, as per a report on DT Next. The Railway Police have filed charges against the accused, vowing to take severe action and curb future incidents of student violence.

In response, Pachaiyappa’s College has declared a holiday until Monday, and authorities have pledged strict measures to prevent such clashes between students moving forward, reported One India.

In May this month, a student of Pachaiyappas college was attacked by a group of students over 'route thala clash'. While the student, Peter, was walking in the college, some students took to attacking him. He surffered injuries in the attack and was provided treatment at Kilpauk Medical College Hospital.

What Is "Route Thala" Issue?

The conflict reportedly stemmed from a "route thala" issue, a term unique to Chennai, where students from different colleges clash over dominance on specific bus or train routes. These "route thala" gang leaders compete for control leading to violent confrontations. The practice is particularly prevalent among students of Pachaiyappa’s College and Presidency College.

The issue has been prevalent since 1990s. However, the clashes have come to the fore again after the recent issues.

The incident has sent shockwaves through the public with viral videos circulating on social media showing students recklessly travelling in government buses on footboard and engaging in dangerous behavior.

Meanwhile, Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has taken all-out efforts to control the issue including the installation of automatic doors to stop students from travelling on footboard.