A 31-year-old migrant labourer from Chhattisgarh was brutally beaten to death by a mob in Kerala's Palakkad district on Thursday, December 19, 2025, after being falsely suspected of theft. The victim, identified as Ramnarayan Bhayar, was working at an industrial estate in Kanjikode.
The Tragic Sequence of Events
According to the Walayar police, the incident occurred in Attappallam village under the Walayar police station limits. Bhayar, who had reportedly been working at the Kanjikode industrial estate for just one month, was found wandering in the area. Police officials stated that he appeared to be mentally disoriented and had lost his way from his workplace.
By evening, he was spotted near a group of women who were engaged in work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The situation escalated when Bhayar began rummaging through one of their bags, which typically contained their meals. The women raised an alarm, prompting a group of young men nearby to rush to the spot.
The group then subjected Bhayar to a brutal assault. A senior police officer confirmed that no stolen items were recovered from the migrant worker's possession, indicating the suspicion was baseless.
Police Action and Medical Report
After the assailants abandoned the severely injured Bhayar, local residents alerted the police. An ambulance was rushed to the scene, and he was taken to the government district hospital in Palakkad. However, he was declared dead upon arrival.
A doctor on duty reported to the police that the victim had sustained multiple injuries and was bleeding profusely from his nose and mouth. The medical opinion indicated that the excessive bleeding likely caused his death. Based on this, the Walayar police registered a case of murder under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
In a swift follow-up operation conducted later that night, police arrested five individuals from Attappallam village. They have been identified as Murali, Prasad, Anu, Bipin, and Anandan. The victim's relatives have been informed, and a post-mortem examination is scheduled for Friday.
Community Reaction and Condemnation
Local authorities and community members have condemned the horrific act. Puthussery panchayat member Sivaraman clarified that Bhayar was not involved in any theft. He explained that the worker had been seen bumping into houses in the area, seemingly asking for water, before the tragic confrontation.
"He reached the Kanjikode industrial estate only a month back. Yesterday, he might have lost his way to the estate and got stranded in the village," Sivaraman stated, highlighting the victim's vulnerable state. This incident has once again brought the issue of mob violence and the safety of migrant workers in India into sharp focus.
