The Kerala Police have registered a case against the Students' Federation of India (SFI) State President K Anusree and eight others for their "dangerous act" of burning a huge effigy of Governor Arif Mohammed Khan "using petrol" at Payyambalam beach on Sunday evening, December 31.

The police said on Monday, January 1, 2024, that the SFI leaders have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (punishment for rioting) and 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible).

The 30-foot-tall effigy of the governor was set on fire at the beach on New Year's Eve by the SFI, who claimed the governor had "communalised" the state's educational system. The Kannur town police then opened an independent case against the governor.

Anusree set the effigy, that resembled Khan, ablaze while other student organisation members yelled slogans, PTI reports.

According to the SFI, the protest was staged against the appointment of right-wing activists to university senates by Khan, in his capacity as chancellor of Kerala state universities.

Regarding Khan's appointments to the senate of several state universities, there have been verbal altercations between Governor Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and the SFI.

Citing a recent ruling by the Supreme Court that invalidated Gopinath Ravindran's reappointment as Kannur University's Vice-Chancellor, Khan has alleged that he is being targeted since the state government and the SFI no longer have authority over the state's universities.