Palakkad , Seven people have been arrested in connection with the alleged mob lynching of a man whose body was found near Moolathara Dam in this district, police said on Wednesday.
What was initially reported as a death near the dam has now turned into a suspected mob lynching, with the police uncovering the alleged murder during their investigation.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the district, marking the third alleged mob lynching reported in Palakkad in recent years.
The identity of the deceased, who had reportedly been roaming around the border village for some time, is yet to be established.
Police are also investigating in neighbouring Tamil Nadu to identify him.
According to Meenakshipuram police, the accused, aged between 20 and 25, allegedly attacked the man with stones and wooden planks while under the influence of alcohol.
The man was found dead under suspicious circumstances near the dam by locals on Sunday morning. A post-mortem examination at Thrissur Medical College Hospital revealed signs of murder, police said.
A police officer said the deceased had reportedly been sleeping near the house of one of the accused in recent days.
The accused allegedly told police that the man had behaved inappropriately towards some women in the household, provoking them. They claimed they had not intended to kill him but had only tried to drive him away from the place, the officer said.
An altercation reportedly followed, during which the accused allegedly restrained and brutally assaulted the man near the dam. The accused had allegedly hurled stones at him and even beaten him with wooden planks.
Police suspect that the deceased was suffering from hearing and speaking impairments, though this has not been confirmed.
Police had initially registered a case of unnatural death. More serious charges would be invoked after the accused were produced before a court later on Wednesday, they said.
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