In a shocking incident of extreme brutality in Kerala, which proudly projects itself as the most socially emancipated State in the country, a poor tribal youth was beaten to death by a mob of local people on the charge of stealing food in the Attapadi Adivasi settlement area in Palakkad district triggering intense protests across the State, especially from the tribespeople.
Members of the mob also allegedly took selfies with the shabbily dressed youth, said to be mentally challenged, and recorded videos with him before handing him over to the police in whose vehicle he died on the way to hospital. Some of the photographs and videos appeared in the social media making identification of culprits easy for the police.
The local people had allegedly caught Madhu (27), son of late Mallan and Malli of Kadukumanna tribal hamlet in Attapadi, on Thursday afternoon from the forest where he had been living. Videos and photographs showed the mob thrashing the shabbily dressed, defenceless and weak youth after tying his hands to his body with his own lungi.
After torturing him for hours in the forest, they reportedly brought him to the village square at Mukkali near Attapadi on Thursday evening and subjected him to “public trial” and search for evidences claiming that he was responsible for the several incidents of theft in the area. However, no valuable articles except some rice and other things were found from his bag.
Madhu was later handed over to the police who reached the spot. Reports quoting the FIR registered by the police said the tribal youth, who had vomited in the police vehicle, died before reaching the health centre at Agali. The FIR said that on the way to the hospital Madhu had confirmed to the police that the local people had beaten and kicked him by calling him robber.
“We have taken two persons into custody and are looking for 12 others. Arrests will be made today itself,” said MR Ajithkumar, Inspector General of Police (Thrissur Range) who is supervising a special probe team looking into the youth’s lynching, told the media at Attapadi on Friday evening.
Those who were taken into custody - sources said they had already been arrested - were reportedly identified as K Hussain, a trader in Mukkali, and a local resident Abdul Kareem. The police said that all the culprits had been identified and that all relevant charges would be slapped on them while sources indicated that five other accused had already been taken into custody.
Madhu’s mother Malli, who confirmed that he had mental problems, said, “It was the local people who killed him. I came to know of the incident on Thursday evening. I wanted to go there but my limbs had gone numb out of shock. Why did they kill my poor boyIJ” She said he had been living in a cave in the nearby forest and came down only when he ran out of food.
The incident triggered intense protests in the Attapadi area with hundreds of tribespeople coming out to block the main road demanding arrest of the culprits. Protesters blocked the ambulance in which they were taking Madhu’s body for post-mortem saying they would not allow the police to take the body out before all the culprits were arrested.
The tension eased a bit only after the protesters were informed of the arrest of two of the culprits. However, protests were going on at Attapadi even on late Friday evening. “We want action to ensure that we can live in peace. After all, why was he killedIJ In the name of a kilo of riceIJ We can’t allow this to continue,” said a tribal youth.
Condemning the incident, Marxist Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who was busy with the State conference of the CPI(M) in Thrissur, said stringent action would be taken against the culprits while SC/ST Welfare Minister AK Balan said a Magistrate-level inquiry had already been ordered into the lynching and assured that everyone responsible would be caught.
“Action will be taken to ensure that such incidents are not repeated,” Balan said, adding that he would visit Attapadi on Saturday. The Congress-led Opposition UDF will observe a 12-hour shutdown in Mannarkad taluk on Saturday to protest the incident. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said he would visit the Adivasi area on Saturday.
The State Human Rights Commission suo motu initiated a case over the incident and instructed the District Collector and police chief of Palakkad to submit a report within two weeks. Terming the incident as unprecedented in the State’s history, the BJP alleged that it proved that Kerala had become a State where peaceful life was impossible under the leftists’ rule.