Palakkad Lynching Case: Migrant Worker Beaten To Death On Suspicion Of Theft, Five Arrested

Palakkad: A 31-year-old migrant worker was allegedly lynched by a mob in Kerala’s Palakkad district on suspicion of theft, officials said on Friday. Five people were arrested in connection with the case, they said. The victim, Ramanarayan Bhaiyar, a native of Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh, succumbed to his injuries after being brutally assaulted by locals at Walayar Attappallam, they said.

According to police, Ramanarayan had arrived in the area in search of employment. On the day of the incident, locals surrounded him while he was intoxicated, suspecting him of being a thief. What began as questioning soon escalated into a violent assault. Although no stolen goods were found in his possession, he was allegedly kicked and beaten.

An eyewitness said that Ramanarayan collapsed after suffering internal injuries and was seen spitting blood. He was rushed to the Palakkad District Government Hospital, where he later died.

The Walayar police confirmed the arrest of five late Thursday night following a detailed interrogation. In addition to the arrests, several locals were taken into custody for questioning. The First Information Report (FIR) states that the assault continued even after it became evident that Ramanarayan had not committed any theft.

Police officials said that bruises were found on various parts of the victim’s body, and the exact cause of death will be determined after the postmortem report is received. Preliminary investigation indicated that Ramanarayan may have reached the area by mistake while under the influence of alcohol. A detailed investigation is underway, and authorities have not ruled out further arrests.

In a similar incident in 2018 in Attappady, a tribal man, Madhu, was beaten to death by a mob in Palakkad on allegations of theft. At least 13 of the 14 accused were later sentenced to seven years of imprisonment.

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