In Kerala’s Palakkad district, a Dalit migrant labourer from Chhattisgarh was allegedly beaten to death after being mistaken for a Bangladeshi national, according to initial reports. The incident has triggered fear and anger among migrant workers living in the area.
The victim has been identified as 31-year-old Ramnarayan Baghel, a resident of Karhi village in Sakti district of Chhattisgarh. He had arrived in Palakkad on December 13 in search of work and was employed as a daily-wage labourer at a construction site. His relative Kishan Baghel said Ramnarayan had travelled to Kerala at the request of a distant relative, Shashikant Baghel, who is also from the same village.
“Ramnarayan was extremely poor. He is survived by his wife Lalita and two young sons, who are around eight and nine years old,” Kishan told The Times of India. He added that Ramnarayan’s wife left for Palakkad on Friday after receiving the news of his death, though she had not reached there at the time of reporting.
Some reports suggest that Ramnarayan may also have been mistaken for a thief following a local theft incident. He was allegedly attacked by a group of people and beaten with sticks, which led to his death. After the incident, tension gripped the area, prompting the police to increase security to prevent further unrest.
Kerala police have arrested five people in connection with the lynching and said a detailed investigation is underway to determine the exact motive and sequence of events. A case has been registered at the Walayar police station under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police said Ramnarayan’s identity was confirmed through his Aadhaar card, after which authorities in Sakti district were informed. His death has left his family and village in deep mourning. Officials said that after completing legal formalities, including a postmortem examination, his body will be sent back to his native village for the last rites.
