Palakkad, Oct 14 (IANS) Police have arrested seven people for allegedly beating a 40-year-old man to death near Moolathara Dam in Kerala’s Palakkad district after he repeatedly slept in the courtyard of a house.
The prime accused, Kathiresan, a native of Moolakkadavu, and six others Naveen, Karthik, Sanjay, Prasanth, Manikandan and Suryaprakash were arrested after police examined CCTV footage.
Six of the accused are below 30 years of age.
Police said the victim, suspected to be suffering from mental illness and possibly even speech-impaired, was attacked because he continued to sleep in front of Kathiresan’s house despite repeated warnings to stay away.
The incident is suspected to have taken place on Saturday evening.
The accused, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, spotted the man while drinking at a toddy shop.
They chased him for nearly half a kilometre, throwing stones at him, before cornering him near Moolathara Dam and assaulting him.
The gang allegedly used wooden logs and stones to repeatedly hit the man on his face and head.
The attack continued even after he fell to the ground near the Moolathara regulator, police said.
In a particularly disturbing detail, the accused allegedly poured liquor into the injured man’s mouth when he asked for water.
Local residents found the man dead near Moolathara Dam around 8.30 a.m. on Sunday and alerted the police.
A post-mortem examination at Thrissur Medical College Hospital confirmed that he had been murdered.
The post-mortem report attributed the death to internal bleeding caused by the severe assault.
The body bore bruises and injuries across several parts, while serious wounds resembling those caused by stone blows were found on his face.
The victim’s identity remains unknown.
Police have extended their search to Tamil Nadu to establish his identity and are also examining whether more people were involved in the killing.
The Meenakshipuram police are investigating the case under the supervision of Chittur Deputy Superintendent of Police Sasidharan.
–IANS
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