Five Arrested for Lynching Migrant Worker Near Walayar; BJP–RSS Workers Among Accused

Palakkad: Five persons, including four BJP–RSS workers, have been arrested for allegedly beating a migrant worker to death on suspicion of theft at Attappallam near Walayar in Palakkad district, police said on Friday.

The arrests were formally recorded late on Thursday night, and all the accused have been booked for murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, an officer at the Walayar police station said.

Those arrested are Ananthan (55); BJP–RSS workers A. Anu (38), C. Prasad (34) and C. Murali (38); and K. Bibin (30). Police said all five were directly involved in the assault.

The victim, Ramanarayanan Bhayyari (31), a native of Chhattisgarh, was working as a labourer in the Walayar area. The incident occurred around 6 pm on Wednesday at Kizhakke Attappallam, where Bhayyari was allegedly attacked by a group of men who accused him of theft.

According to the FIR, Bhayyari, who was reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time, was brutally beaten, following which he began vomiting blood and collapsed. He was later rushed to the Palakkad District Government Hospital by locals along with the police, but succumbed to his injuries later that night.

Police said Bhayyari had arrived in the area about a month ago to work near the KINFRA Park at Kanjikode. His relatives were informed after police recovered a phone number from his pocket.

During the inquest, police found more than ten injury marks on his body and face, pointing to severe and sustained assault. The accused were produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody.

Police said a detailed investigation is underway and that more persons may have been involved in the incident.