Assault on Baghel deliberate',marked by intense brutality
PALAKKAD: Details from the investigation into the mob lynching of Ramnarayan Baghel, 31, a migrant labourer from Chhattisgarh, reveal a pattern of sustained and deliberate violence preceding his death in Walayar, Palakkad. According to post-mortem findings and remand-report details from investigative sources, he suffered extensive, repeated assaults with sticks and kicks, particularly targeting his head, face, chest and back, suggesting prolonged torture rather than a single episode of violence. Medical examinations indicated more than 40 major injuries across the body, with internal bleeding and grievous head wounds recorded as the immediate cause of death. One doctor involved in the autopsy stated that there was no part of the body without injuries, underlining the extent of the brutality. The victim reportedly collapsed, vomited blood and later succumbed to severe blunt-force trauma at the Palakkad district hospital. The emerging evidence depicts a deliberate, hate-tinged act of mob violence marked by intense brutality. This is indeed a targeted cruelty, with possible caste bias, said a senior police officer. The attack is believed to have involved a large group. Preliminary investigative reports and family accounts claim that around 15 individuals took part directly in the beating, though only five arrests were initially recorded, with further arrests and searches continuing. The Special Investigation Team has since identified several additional accused, some of whom are absconding. Authorities note that the remand report establishes clear murderous intent: the accused repeatedly hit the victim with sticks, continued to kick him after he fell and discouraged intervention by threatening bystanders. Dalit identity and hate-crime dimensions The case has also sharpened focus on the caste and hate-crime angles. Ramnarayan belonged to a Satnami Samaj, a Scheduled Caste community with a significant population in Chhattisgarh, a fact that has prompted the family to demand charges under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in addition to murder. Police officers have noted that the accusations stemmed from suspicions of theft and xenophobic hostility, with some assailants reportedly branding him a Bangladeshi moments before the assault. Authorities have indicated that the atrocity-law provisions will be invoked after verifying the caste status formally, recognising the possibility of a targeted hate crime. At present, the FIR includes Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which covers murder. However, police sources acknowledge that the statute does not yet explicitly codify mob lynching as a distinct offence, necessitating reliance on other provisions and special-law charges to address the collective nature of the crime. Ramnarayan had arrived in Kerala only days before the incident in search of daily-wage work, leaving behind a wife and two young sons. He was attacked by the local resident alleging burglary, but police officials have confirmed that there was no evidence of theft recovered from the victim, underscoring the arbitrariness of the attack. Probe into hate crime angle Police officers have noted that the accusations stemmed from suspicions of theft and xenophobic hostility, with some assailants reportedly branding him a Bangladeshi moments before the assault.Authorities have indicated that the atrocity-law provisions will be invoked after verifying the caste status formally, recognising the possibility of a targeted hate crime We have been following mob lynching of migrant workers in Kerala. What is worrying is the narrowing gap between cases. In the last three years there has been at least one death. For every death, there are several cases of mob attacks that result in serious injuries. Such cases seldom get reported. While in December 2025 we witnessed the death of Ramnarayan Baghel, there was a mob attack on Mominul Islam from Assam in October 2025, less than two months ago. He survived. The narrowing gap of mob lynching cases in Kerala is worrying Benoy Peter, executive director of Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development
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