Palakkad, Kerala: In a suspected case of mob lynching in Kerala’s Palakkad district, seven people have been arrested for allegedly beating a 40-year-old man to death after he repeatedly slept in the courtyard of a house.

The victim, believed to be a person with mental health issues who survived by begging, was found dead near the Moolathara dam on Sunday morning. His identity has yet to be established.

Police identified the prime accused as Kathiresan, a resident of Moolakkadavu. The six other accused have been identified as Naveen, Karthik, Sanjay, Prasanth, Manikandan and Sooryaprakash.

According to police, Kathiresan and the other accused allegedly attacked the man because he continued sleeping in the courtyard of a house despite repeated warnings.

Investigators suspect that the seven men, who were allegedly under the influence of alcohol, assaulted the victim using wooden logs and stones.

The attackers allegedly struck the man’s face and head repeatedly, inflicting severe injuries. Police said the assault continued even after he collapsed to the ground.

Local residents found the body under suspicious circumstances on Sunday morning and alerted the authorities.

A post-mortem examination conducted at Thrissur Medical College Hospital revealed injuries consistent with a violent assault, prompting police to launch a murder investigation.

The Meenakshipuram police initially took five people into custody based on circumstantial evidence. Subsequent investigation led to the arrest of seven accused, including Kathiresan.