Kerala govt to provide Rs 30 lakh relief for family of migrant worker killed in Palakkad
Palakkad (Kerala): The Kerala government has reportedly approved a compensation of ₹30 lakh for the family of a migrant worker who was allegedly lynched by a mob on suspicion of theft near Walayar.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expected to make an official announcement later in the day, according to media reports.
Earlier, the Chhattisgarh government also announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to Ram Narayan Baghel (31), a native of Chhattisgarh.
Meanwhile, five accused have been booked for murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. They were produced before a local court on Friday and remanded to judicial custody.
A relative of Baghel told reporters that police had informed the family that he died due to injuries sustained in what amounted to a mob lynching. According to the relative, Baghel had arrived in Kerala just four days ago in search of employment and was planning to return home after being dissatisfied with the job he had found.
“He was new to the area and did not know the routes, and got lost. As a result, he landed up at the place where the incident occurred. He has no criminal record back home. You can check with the police in Chhattisgarh.
“He was a good man. Had two kids aged 8 and 10 years. His only drawback was his drinking habit. He was never involved in any fights or anything like that,” the relative said.
Ram Narayan, a construction worker from Karhi village, died on December 17 after being detained and assaulted by a group of local residents in Attappallam, who accused him of theft. He had travelled to Kerala just a week before in search of employment. Police later confirmed that no evidence existed to connect him to any criminal activity.
For several days, the victim's relatives had refused to accept the body, staging a protest outside the mortuary to secure a written assurance. With the government now committing to favourable measures, the protest has been called off. Officials confirmed that Ram Narayan's body will be flown to Chhattisgarh, with all expenses borne by the state government.
Later in the day, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that all those responsible for the Walayar mob lynching have been brought before the law and that action is being taken to ensure maximum punishment. Addressing a press conference, he said a special investigation team is probing the case and that the investigation would be carried out effectively and without compromise.
Mr Vijayan alleged that the crime was carried out by individuals motivated by an ideology of hatred and said some of the accused had criminal backgrounds and links to the Sangh Parivar. He accused the Sangh Parivar of attempting to transplant a pattern of mob violence seen in North Indian states into Kerala.
He added that the victim was falsely branded as a Bangladeshi migrant, a narrative he said had earlier been used in several mob lynching cases in North India. “This is a dangerous attempt to normalise mob violence in Kerala, and it will not be allowed to succeed,” the Chief Minister said.