Thirty-six-year-old Rajesh Manjhi, a Dalit migrant labourer from Bihar’s East Champaran district, was lynched to death on Saturday, May 13, in the Mallapuram district of Kerala. Following the murder, Kerala police arrested 9 individuals, Mohd Afsal, Fasil, Sharafuddin, Mehboob, Abdussamad, Nasar, Habeeb, Ayoob, and Zainul Abid, all hailing from Kizhissery in Mallapuram district.
The matter pertains to the Kondutty Police Station precinct in Mallapuram. The accused persons captured Manjhi from a house along the Kizhissery-Thavanur road on Saturday at around 1:00 am. The police learned about the incident at 3:25 am.
Out of the 9 arrested, 1 has been arrested for tampering with the evidence and deleting surveillance camera footage, police said on Sunday.
The victim Manjhi had only recently arrived in Kondotty, according to Kondotty ASP B V Vijaya Bharath Reddy, “The people detained claim that the migrant worker fell from the first floor of a house after a failed theft attempt.” The accused apprehended and attacked the boy for over an hour after he fell from the building.
The accused used pipes and wooden sticks to thrash Rajesh Manjhi, injuring him in the chest, ribs, and hips. Rajesh Manjhi’s body was found in Kizhissery on the night of May 12.
“The accused bound and assaulted the victim with sticks and plastic pipes. We have gathered evidence, including pictures, from the accused’s phones. They attempted to destroy evidence, including CCTV footage,” Malappuram district police chief Sujit Das said.
According to ASP Reddy, the police are verifying the house owner’s claim that the migrant worker fell from the building during a break-in attempt. ASP Reddy added that the family of the deceased migrant worker has been informed about his death.
Further investigations into the case are currently underway.