‘Are You Bangladeshi?’: Migrant Worker Beaten To Death In Kerala On Suspicion Of Theft, 5 Arrested

New Delhi: A 31-year-old migrant worker from Chhattisgarh, who travelled to Kerala in search of work, paid with his life as he was brutally beaten to death by a mob in Palakkad district after being mistaken for a Bangladeshi national on Wednesday.

The attackers reportedly detained him on suspicion of theft  and questioned him about his identity asking “Are you a Bangladeshi” following which the brutal assault took place.

A video of the incident has surfaced, showing the severity of the violence where the victim was slapped and one of the accused is heard laughing as another strikes him.

Meanehile, the cops sprung into action after learning about the case and maintained that the assault was triggered by allegations of theft and said the investigation was proceeding on that basis.

Officials said no stolen property was recovered from him.

Victim vomitted blood

Following the abuse, the victim reportedly collapsed when he was assaulted and vomitted blood following which he was rushed to the district hospital, where he later died. The postmortem conducted at Thrissur Medical College revealed more than 80 injury marks injuries to his body, indicating a brutal assault. The cops added that the blood was seen oozing from his chest during the assault.

The 31-second-long viral video of the assault showed Ramnarayan being repeatedly addressed as a "Bangladeshi" by the local residents. A person recording the video asks about his language and village, and failing to respond properly, those around him themselves say, "You are Bangladeshi"and launches an assault.

Barely conscious due to the beating, Ramnarayan is heard saying that his sister lives in his village. The person filming responds mockingly, saying, "Your sister is Bangladeshi." Despite this, the mob continues to chant "You are Bangladeshi" and resumes the brutal assault on Ramnarayan, beating him mercilessly.

The Kerala Police, following the death, have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the five accused, Murli, Prasad, Anu, Bipin, and Anandan, all residents of Attapallam village, were arrested on December 18. Police have clarified that Ramnarayan had no criminal record.

Baghel Family demands justice

The victim's family, after learning about the incident, demanded strict action from the government and refused to receive his mortal remains. Shashikant, the victim's brother, stated that his brother was the only breadwinner of the family and demanded all culprits to be punished and sought registration of the case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, stating that they belong to the Dalit community in Chhattisgarh. The family has also demanded compensation of Rs. 25 lakh.

The victim's relatives added that Baghel's family was devastated after seeing his body at Thrissur Medical College Hospital and would remain in Kerala until their demands were addressed.

Kerala CM reacts

CM Pinarayi Vijayan said strict action would be taken against those responsible and justice will be ensured to the family of Ram Narayan Baghel.

He added that a special investigation team led by the Palakkad Superintendent of Police was probing the case, and that the government would examine the issue of compensation.

CPI(M) on the assault

The tragic incident drew condemnation from CPI(M) where they alleged that the killing was the result of what it described as racial hatred spread by the RSS. Kerala Minister MB Rajesh said branding the victim as Bangladeshi and attacking him reflected “the poison of racial hatred” propagated by the RSS.

He alleged that the incident was being deliberately projected only as a mob lynching.

Rajesh further added that the two of the accused had earlier been involved in an attempt to murder CPI(M) workers during an RSS–CPI(M) clash, which, he said, showed their criminal background.

VD Satheesan Reacts

Reacting to the incident, Kerala's Leader of Opposition, VD Satheesan, expressed concern and called the incident a disgrace to the state's reputation. 

On reports of a migrant worker from Chhattisgarh being lynched in the state, Satheesan said, "It was very unfortunate that a mob brutally killed a labourer from Chhattisgarh. This is an insult to Kerala. We are all expressing our sorrow towards the family and the entire people of Chhattisgarh. This is not Kerala. Some people attacked him. The opposition in Kerala demanded that the Kerala Chief Minister initiate sufficient action against the culprits. We requested that the government assist the deceased person's poor family.

Chhattisgarh CM expresses deep sorrow

Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai also expressed deep sorrow and condolences over the unfortunate and inhuman incident involving the killing of a Chhattisgarh migrant worker

The CM also announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh for the bereaved family and urged the Kerala government to ensure the strictest legal action against all those involved in this heinous crime, so that such inhuman incidents are not repeated in the future

Also Read: Doctor Suspended After Viral Video Shows Assault On Patient In IGMC Hospital Ward