Brutal Assault on Mentally Ill Man: Seven Arrested in Palakkad
PALAKKAD: In a chilling incident that has sent shockwaves through the local community, seven men have been arrested for the cold-blooded murder of a man suffering from mental health issues in Meenakshipuram. The victim, a drifter known for wandering the area, was subjected to a horrific, prolonged assault that ultimately claimed his life.
The accused, ranging in age from 22 to 35, allegedly targeted the man while under the influence of alcohol. According to reports, the group had initially chased the victim away from their colony on the night of October 10. However, the situation turned fatal when the men, fueled by alcohol, decided to track him down later that evening.
A Sustained and Vicious Attack
The suspects cornered the victim on a road near a local ward member’s residence. What followed was a brutal act of violence. The assailants used dried coconut leaf stalks to beat the man, inflicting severe injuries. In a display of extreme cruelty, when the victim collapsed in pain and pleaded for water, the attackers reportedly taunted him by offering him alcohol before resuming their assault.
The violence did not stop there. The group reportedly broke branches from a nearby tree to continue beating the defenseless man. Witnesses and police findings suggest the attackers punched and kicked the man until he reached a critical condition. Once the victim stopped moving, the group callously abandoned him and fled the scene. His body was discovered approximately 300 meters away from the site of the primary attack, near the Moolathara Dam.
Police Investigation and Arrests
The case has been transferred from a standard unnatural death investigation to a murder inquiry. Initially, the police had registered the case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) after the body was first discovered. However, following the identification of the suspects and the reconstruction of the events, authorities have updated the charges to Section 302 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The seven men identified and subsequently taken into custody are Karthik, Sanjay, Manikandan (alias Gunal), Kathiresan, Naveen, Prasanth Kumar, and Suryaprakash.
Local residents described the victim as a vulnerable individual who, despite exhibiting occasional erratic behavior, was known to be non-violent and harmless. His death has sparked outrage in the region, highlighting the extreme dangers faced by the homeless and those living with mental health challenges.
As the legal proceedings begin, the police are working to establish the victim’s identity. Authorities have launched a statewide advertising campaign, urging anyone with information regarding the deceased’s background or family to come forward. The investigators are currently processing forensic evidence from the site to ensure that the accused face the full weight of the law for this senseless act of violence.
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