Dalit youth beaten up by gang including Youth Congress leader in Wayanad

Pulpally: In a disturbing incident, a Dalit youth was assaulted and abducted by a group that included Youth Congress Constituency President, Tony Thomas. Shraddakh, the son of an opposition member of the Pulpally Grama Panchayat, along with Abhilash George, Sarath, and Rene, have been identified as suspects in the case. All of them are currently absconding. The police have filed charges under non-bailable sections against the accused.

The first arrests in the case were Tony's brother, Jithu (26), and T.J. Bijobin (24), who is now in remand. The involvement of the Youth Congress leader and others came to light when CCTV footage emerged, showing the brutal assault in the town. The footage led to the police implicating five more individuals in the case. On the day following the violence, Tony, accompanied by other political leaders, visited the police station to provide legal aid to the detained accused.

The victims, Varadhan and his friends Prakash and Ajith from Gandhi Nagar Colony, Eriyapally, were attacked by the gang on the night of July 5. The altercation began around 10:30 p.m. in the parking lot of a private bar in town, following a minor collision between the gang's car and another vehicle. According to the victims, the gang turned their aggression towards them without any provocation while they were witnessing the scuffle. The youths who fled from the beating and reached the town were chased by the goons and beaten up again. CCTV footage of the attack has now come out. As the beating became unbearable, the youths fled town in different directions.

During the chaos, Varadhan, who sought refuge at the bus stand, was forcibly taken into the gang's car. They drove to Thanni Theruvu, where Varadhan was coerced into calling his friends who had escaped. The police, alerted to the violence, intervened and managed to rescue Varadhan. Jithu and Bijobin were apprehended at the scene, while the others managed to flee. So far, three formal complaints have been filed, but it is suspected that more individuals were assaulted, who are yet to come forward.