PALAKKAD: In a shocking case of mob lynching in Chittur, Palakkad, preliminary information suggests that the attack on an unidentified youth stemmed from enmity over him sleeping in the courtyard of a house. Police have reportedly taken seven persons into custody in connection with the incident.
According to reports, the victim used to regularly sleep in front of the house of Kathiresan, the prime suspect. Police preliminarily suspect that resentment over this led to the violent attack. Officers also suspect the deceased had speech impairment and may have been mentally unstable. However, his identity has not been established yet.
An inebriated group reportedly chased the youth for nearly half a kilometer before launching the assault using wooden planks and stones. Reports indicate that the attack continued even after he collapsed near the Moolathara regulator.
A report by Kerala Kaumudi states that the post-mortem report confirmed internal bleeding caused by severe assault as the cause of death. Multiple injuries were found across his body along with serious facial wounds.
The crime reportedly took place on Saturday evening. Locals found the body on Sunday morning and alerted the police, after which an investigation confirmed it to be a murder.
Seven individuals were taken into custody after analyzing CCTV footage. Reports note that six of the detained suspects are under 30 years of age. Police are also probing whether more persons were involved in the crime.
The investigation is progressing under Chittur DySP Sasidharan. Efforts to identify the deceased are also underway focusing on neighboring Tamil Nadu.
For more details: Navamalayalam.com