A 17-year-old Dalit boy was tied to a tree and beaten up by three members of a family for allegedly stealing a few hundred rupees and mango from their shop near Palakkad's Kozhinjampara. Based on a complaint, the police arrested a couple and their minor son.
According to PTI, an officer at Kozhinjampara police station said, the incident took place on May 21. The officer said, "A case under relevant sections of the IPC and the SC/ST Act would be registered against the three accused -- a couple and their minor son. The couple is in our custody. Their son was sent home as he is a juvenile. They will be formally arrested tomorrow and produced before a court."
The police said that the men beat the boy from head to toe. They said that he sustained serious injuries and it was fortunate that he is alive.
"They (accused) tied up and beat the boy to their heart's content and no one there intervened to stop them or call the police as everyone was scared of them. They were very influential. Some people took videos of the incident," he said.
There were similar incidents in Kerala. In 2018, a mob attack on a tribal man led to his death.
Madhu, a tribal, was caught, tied up and beaten by a mob back in Attappady area of Palakkad for allegedly stealing food. The man handed him over to the police after thrashing him badly.
In April 2023, 14 accused were found guilty in Madhu murder case for culpable homicide. The court released the fourth and eleventh accused.
In another incident, Bihar-native Rajesh Manji was lynched by locals who caught him after he fell from the sunshade of a house near Kondotty in Malappuram district of the state.
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