T’puram: A 19-year-old tourist from Tamil Nadu was grievously injured after being stabbed during an alleged assault at Varkala Cliff on Monday night. Three local youths, including two minors, were arrested by Varkala police after tourism police chased them for nearly 1.5km following the attack. The arrested men were identified as Mohammed Ali (18), Ananthan (17) and Jerin (17) all residents of Odayam in Varkala.The victim has been identified as Sudarshan of Thamaramkottai in Thanjavur. He is undergoing treatment at the Govt Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.According to police, the incident took place around 11pm in the Helipad–Cliff area of Varkala. Sudarshan, along with his friends Satheesh (17) and Kumudan (19), was walking from the helipad towards the cliff when they were allegedly intercepted by three local youths.Police said the accused stopped the group and picked an argument with them. The verbal confrontation soon escalated into a physical assault, during which the TN tourists were allegedly beaten up.Police said the first accused, Ali, allegedly pinned Sudarshan against a wire fence and assaulted him before pulling out a knife and stabbing him repeatedly. Sudarshan sustained serious injuries to the right side of his abdomen, back and shoulder.Bystanders alerted emergency services, and the injured youth were rushed to Varkala taluk hospital. After receiving first aid, he was referred to MCH for specialized treatment due to severity of his injuries. Doctors said he remains under intensive care.Following the attack, the accused fled the scene. Tourism police immediately pursued the suspects and caught them. The trio was later handed over to Varkala police, who registered a case and launched a detailed probe. Police have recovered the weapon believed to have been used in the attack and are recording statements from eyewitnesses and examining CCTV footage from the area.
