RAIPUR: A chilling case of mob violence has emerged from Kerala’s Palakkad district, where a Dalit migrant labourer from Chhattisgarh was allegedly beaten to death by a group of people after being mistaken for a Bangladeshi national, according to initial reports. The incident has sparked outrage and fear among migrant workers in the region.
The deceased has been identified as Ramnarayan Baghel (31), a resident of Karhi village in Sakti district, Chhattisgarh. He had travelled to Palakkad on December 13 in search of work and was employed as a daily-wage labourer at a construction site.According to his relative Kishan Baghel, who lives in Karhi village, Ramnarayan had gone to Kerala at the request of Shashikant Baghel, a distant relative from the same village. “Ramnarayan was extremely poor and is survived by his wife Lalita and two young sons, aged around eight and nine,” Kishan told TOI.Other sources claimed that Ramnarayan was allegedly mistaken for a thief following a local theft incident and was brutally assaulted with sticks by a group of people, resulting in his death. Kishan said Ramnarayan’s wife left for Palakkad on Friday after receiving the news, though she had not reached the destination at the time of reporting.Following the incident, tension prevailed in the area, prompting police to step up security to prevent any escalation.Kerala police have arrested five people in connection with the lynching and said a detailed investigation is underway to establish the exact sequence of events and the motive behind the crime.The news of Ramnarayan’s death has devastated his family in Sakti, plunging the village into mourning. Police said that after completion of legal formalities, including the post-mortem examination, the body will be sent back to his native place for the last rites.A case has been registered at Walayar police station under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police confirmed Ramnarayan’s identity through his Aadhaar card, following which Sakti police were informed about his death.
