Ashok Das, 24, sustained severe injuries to his head and chest following the brutal assault by the group of individuals, which ultimately proved fatal.
Ashok Das was brutally beaten to death by a group of 10 people (Representational image)
With the haunting memories of the 2018 Attapady Madhu mob lynching case, where a tribal man was lynched, still afresh, another harrowing incident has been reported from Kerala’s Ernakulam district.
A suspected case of lynching has emerged from Muvattupuzha. The tragic incident unfolded on Thursday, April 4.
The victim, identified as 24-year-old Ashok Das, a native of Arunachal Pradesh, was allegedly beaten to death by a group of individuals as he was returning from the residence of a female colleague, with whom he works at a local hotel.
According to Muvattupuzha Police, 10 people have been apprehended in connection with the heinous crime.
“The mob, who are locals, attacked Ashok Das on the night of 4 April when he was returning from the house of a woman colleague. They questioned Ashok Das and as he tried to run away. They tied him to a post and was brutally assaulted,” a police officer told South First.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the victim was tied to a pole and interrogated by a group of locals when he had gone to visit his female friend residing in the same area on Thursday evening.
It is learnt that Ashok Das sustained severe injuries to his head and chest during the brutal assault, which ultimately proved fatal.
Das was shifted to a nearby general hospital and later, referred to the Kolencherry Medical College Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on Friday, 5 April, the FIR added.
Das, who came to Kerala in search of a job, had been staying in a rented house in Valakom in Muvattupuzha for some time.
As many as 10 people have been arrested in the case, all of whom are natives of Valakom. The accused are Vijeesh, Aneesh, Sathyan, Sooraj, Keshav, Elias K Paul, Amal, Athulkrishna, Emil and Sanal.
A case was registered under Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code (non-attendance in obedience to an order from a public servant).
“After a preliminary inquiry, additional sections were added in the case. Section 302 of IPC (murder) has been invoked against the accused,” an officer told PTI.
While the motive behind the vicious attack remains unclear at this stage, police said they are digging deeper into the investigation to ascertain the circumstances leading to the fatal assault.
Initial findings suggest a possible altercation or misunderstanding preceding the attack, though concrete details are yet to be disclosed by the authorities.
“We came to know about an altercation at the house of the woman colleague. The victim’s hand was also injured in that attack. We had to find more details and we are on it,” added the officer.
A comprehensive probe would be carried out and all the accused would be arrested at the earliest, police added.
(With PTI inputs)
(Edited by Shauqueen Mizaj)
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