Palakkad Lynching Case: 7 Arrested, 10-Member SIT To Probe Man’s Killing

Seven people have been arrested in connection with the alleged killing of an unidentified man in Keralam’s Palakkad district, where the victim’s body was found with around 52 injuries, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala told the state Assembly on Friday. A 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the case.

The victim, estimated to be between 35 and 40 years old, has yet to be identified. Chennithala said efforts were under way to establish his identity with assistance from Tamil Nadu authorities, as the incident occurred in a village near the inter-state border.

Chennithala told the Assembly that the victim’s body was discovered by residents near the Moolathara dam, close to Meenakshipuram, on Sunday morning. Police had initially registered a case of unnatural death, but CCTV footage and further evidence pointed towards an alleged assault by a group of people.

The attackers allegedly pelted the man with stones and beat him with wooden sticks, the minister said. Murder charges were subsequently added to the case. A post-mortem examination at Thrissur Medical College Hospital had also revealed signs of murder, police said earlier.

According to PTI, the man had reportedly been roaming around a village in the Keralam-Tamil Nadu border region for some time, but his identity remained unknown.

Chennithala said he had instructed the Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) to seek assistance from his Tamil Nadu counterpart, given the village’s proximity to the neighbouring state. He also assured the Assembly that everyone involved in the killing would face action.

Minister Condemns Killing, Rejects Vigilante Violence

Describing the incident as “extremely brutal and condemnable”, Chennithala said such violence had no place in a state like Kerala, which has achieved complete literacy and implemented progressive legislation.

According to PTI, the alleged attack followed claims that the victim had exposed himself in front of some local women. Chennithala said such allegations could not justify violence. The minister, however, said such allegations could not justify an assault resulting in death.

He questioned how a group of people could come together to commit the crime.

"How can we justify a group of people joining together to commit such an inhuman and heinous murder?" he asked.

Chennithala said law-enforcement agencies and courts were responsible for addressing such allegations and that no one could take the law into their own hands by attacking and killing another person.

He said a 10-member SIT had been formed to investigate the case and reiterated that no one involved would be spared.

Palakkad Has Reported Previous Mob Killings

The latest incident has brought renewed attention to earlier cases of alleged mob violence in Palakkad. In 2018, Madhu, a 27-year-old tribal youth from Chindakki Ooru in Attappadi, was allegedly beaten to death by a mob after being accused of stealing rice and other grocery items from a shop.

Recalling the case, Chennithala said Madhu’s killing remained a grim reminder of mob violence.

In December 2025, five people were arrested for allegedly beating a native of Chhattisgarh to death on suspicion of theft within the jurisdiction of the Walayar police station.