Palakkad, Feb 23: A 35-year-old tribal man was beaten to death by local people for allegedly stealing articles from some shops at Agali here, police said.
The deceased, suspected to be mentally unsound, was identified as Madhu, hailing from Kadukumanna settlement of Attappady, one of the largest and backward tribal hamlets in the state.
The shabbily dressed man, who was living in the forest near Mukkali here for some months, used to be seen wandering in the area, police said.
He was beaten up by the local people, who accused him of stealing articles from some shops in the town, and later handed him over to the police yesterday.
Some television channels aired visuals purportedly showing people taking selfies with Madhu with his hands tied up.
Though, the police tried to rush him to the nearby Agali government hospital, he vomited, collapsed and died in the jeep itself and was declared by dead by the hospital, police said.
Agali police has registered a case and some persons have been taken into custody, they said.
"They are being interrogated and the arrest will be recorded after verification," a senior police officer told PTI.
Police said the post mortem would be conducted at the Thrissur Medical College hospital later, only after which the exact cause of the death will be known.
However, Madhu's relatives told Malayalam channels that he was suffering from a mental breakdown and was staying away from home for some months.
They also 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 civilised society.
It cannot be accepted in anyway," Vijayan said in a Facebook post.
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Comments
Rich people Take money and run to other Countries for Hifi Life but Public is Quite, One poor man stole items just for Hunger and people Killed Him. Very Sad :( RIP Madhu
really very sad , people have no mercy to the poor. its bad name for the people who have done this cruel act
He was hungry. he took for eating. Dont call him thief, because we, our society made him poor, straving, begging man and at last a thief
Such a cruel act. Seven people beating one man by tying hands.. How can men do like that..
Shocking.. #Tribals_are _also_human_beings..
It's too dangerous...If the suspicion is correct also, people dont have right to kill or harm other people. This mentality will end up in total anarchy. Should Punish them properly and warn others
This is not the right way. should stop "crowd punishment". they dont have the right to punish anybody. hang the goons
Poor Madhu... so sad
Brutal.. Should punish them equally
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