Eight local residents were arrested in connection with the case. A ninth was arrested on charges of destroying evidence.
Published May 14, 2023 | 6:19 PM ⚊ Updated May 14, 2023 | 6:20 PM
The brawl took place at an Agricultural Produce & Livestock Market Committee (APMC) market. Representational image. (Creative Commons)
A 36-year-old native of Bihar was mob-lynched at Kizhissery near Kondotty in Kerala’s Malappuram district in the early hours of Saturday, 13 May, on suspicion of theft.
The deceased has been identified as Rajesh Manji, who hailed from Madhavpur in Bihar.
Eight local residents have been arrested for the brutal attack and murder of the youth, who was allegedly grabbed from the terrace of a house at around 1 am under suspicious circumstances.
The police have confirmed one more person was taken into custody for helping the accused destroy evidence, including CCTV footage.
Talking to South First over the phone, Malappuram district Superintendent of Police (SP) Sujith Das said the youth was brutally assaulted for about two hours using steel pipes, iron rods, and sticks.
The attack on him began at 12.15 am and continued till 2.30 am, he added.
Once Rajesh fell unconscious, the attackers dragged him for about 50 metres and abandoned him near a closed shop near the Kizhisseri-Thavanur Road.
The police received information about the incident only by 3 am, and reached the spot in five minutes, they said.
Though they rushed Rajesh to the casualty wing of Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode, he was declared dead on arrival.
The post-mortem examination held on Sunday found that multiple internal injuries led to the death.
The victim’s remains have been handed over to his relatives after the post-mortem examination.
A special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the case, in which murder charges and Section 342 (wrongful restrainment) of the Indian Penal Code have been invoked.
“The accused attempted to destroy the evidence. They tried to erase CCTV visuals. We are recovering everything. Eight people have been arrested, and one person was taken into custody for attempting to destroy the evidence,” said Das.
The SP added that as per the preliminary investigation, the victim was in the locality intending to commit theft.
“The accused tied the victim’s hands and assaulted him using sticks and plastic pipes. We have obtained evidence, including photographs, from the phones of the accused. They tried to destroy evidence, including the CCTV footage,” Das said.
The accused reportedly confessed to assaulting Rajesh for almost two hours after tying him up.
Initially, the accused claimed that he died after falling off the terrace of a building.
However, the post-mortem examination revealed broken bones and bruises on Manji’s body, possibly from assault.
