A case of mob lynching in Kerala’s Palakkad district has taken a political turn after police confirmed that four of the accused have links with the BJP and the RSS. The incident occurred at Attappallam in Walayar, where a Dalit migrant worker was allegedly beaten to death after he was questioned about whether he was a Bangladeshi national.
Police said the accused have been identified as Anu, Prasad, Murali, Anandan and Bipin, all residents of the Attappallam area. They were produced before a local court and remanded to judicial custody. Local media said that at least four of the five accused are associated with the BJP and the RSS.
Investigators also found that two of the accused, Murali and Anu, were earlier named in a violent attack case about 15 years ago, in which workers linked to the DYFI and CITU were assaulted. Murali is also an accused in another case involving an attack on Stephen, a CITU headload worker, which is currently pending before the Kerala High Court.
A senior police officer said the attack began after suspicion was raised about the victim’s identity and later escalated into deadly violence. He added that the motive behind the crime and the background of the accused are also being closely looked into.
Police said the investigation is ongoing and more arrests may follow.
