Kerala: Tribal man beaten to death for stealing
A 35-year-old tribal man was beaten to death by local people for allegedly stealing items from some shops in Agali town of Kerala's Palakkad district, said police. The deceased, identified as Madhu and suspected to be mentally unsound, hailed from Kadukumanna settlement of Attappady, one of the largest and backward tribal hamlets in Kerala. After beating him, locals handed him over to the police.
Died on the way to the Agali government hospital
The shabbily dressed man was living in the forest near Mukkali for some months. He was often seen wandering in the area, police said. Visuals purportedly showing people taking selfies with Madhu with his hands tied up was also aired by television channels. Though the police tried to rush him to the Agali government hospital, he vomited, collapsed and died in the jeep itself.
A few persons taken into custody are being interrogated
Police have registered a case and some persons have been taken into custody. A senior police officer said, "They are being interrogated and the arrest will be recorded after verification." Police said the post-mortem would be conducted at the Thrissur Medical College hospital later. However, Madhu's relatives told he was suffering from a mental breakdown and stayed away from home.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the incident
The relatives of the deceased wanted exemplary punishment to the guilty. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the incident and said stringent action would be taken against the accused. Directions in this regard have been given to the director general of police, he said. "Such violence cannot be accepted in a civilized society. It cannot be accepted in any way," Vijayan said.
