TRIBAL MAN LYNCHED IN KERALA, 2 ARRESTED
A 27-yearold tribal man was beaten to death by 15 people over allegation that he stole food in Kadukumanna village in Attappady, near Palakkad on Thursday night.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the killing, saying a civilised society cannot tolerate such heinous acts. Police have detained eight, though only two arrests have been made.
The killing caused an outrage as the video of the attack went viral. One of the pictures shows a man holding a stick questioning the victim, identified as Madhu; in another, a man is seen taking a selfie as the victim lay injured.
State police chief Loknath Behera said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted under Thrissur range IG MR Ajith Kumar and action will be taken against erring officers.
Police said Madhu was apprehended by a mob over allegation of theft and severely beaten up.
He was later handed over to the police but collapsed and died on his way to the hospital . The police have arrested two people in connection with the murder. “It is a heinous crime. A civilised society can’t tolerate such acts. The government will take strict action against the guilty,” the CM said in a Facebook post. The Opposition parties criticised the incident. While the BJP has called for a shutdown in Mannarakkad. Congress said it was a “cold-blooded murder”. “It is a shame on literate Kerala. Like honour killings in north India, such brutal acts are raising their ugly heads here,” said writer and activist Joy Mathew. Tribal activist Dhanya Raman said Madhu was suffering from mental ailment and used to roam the area. However, Agali police said Madhu was involved in three cases of theft and was caught red-handed once stealing from a shop. The state government has announced a magisterial inquiry. State culture and SC/ST minister AK Balan will visit the area on Saturday. “The government will not spare the guilty. We have already asked the police to charge all the accused under murder sections,” he said, adding the killing has brought shame to the state. HTC