Thiruvananthapuram: The Minister for Local Self Governments M B Rajesh has said that the migrant worker, who was lynched by a mob in Palakkad last Wednesday, was a ‘victim of Sangh Parivar’s hate politics’ The Indian Express reported.
Ramnarayan Baghel, 31, a native of Sakti district of Chhattisgarh who had reached Palakkad four days ago in search of a job, died after being brutally assaulted a by group.
Meanwhile, The Kerala government on Monday promised a compensation of at least Rs 10 lakh to the victim’s family after his bereaved family refused to take his body home.
One of the assailants was purportedly heard in the footage of the assault as asking the man ‘Are you a Bangladeshi?’
M B Rajesh said Ramnarayan Baghel was attacked after stigmatizing him as a Bangladeshi, adding that ‘The assailants included RSS workers, who had faced criminal cases. The migrant worker who came in search of a job was tried and assaulted, accused of being a Bengladeshi. He is a victim of the racial hatred being spread by Sangh Parivar in the country’.
Baghel, staying at his relative’s place near Attappallam under Wayalayar police limits, was suspected of theft after he got stranded in the village.
The visuals showed the group questioning him before attacking him, later a postmortem report said he died due to loss of blood.
When his relatives refused to claim the body, revenue minister K Rajan held discussions with them, eventually assuring ‘not less than an amount of Rs 10 lakh’ alongside sending the body by air to Chhattisgarh.
Palakkad Superintendent of Police Ajith Kumar said: ‘Five persons have been arrested, and a probe is on to verify the involvement of more people. The district crime branch Deputy SP will head a 10-member team. Relevant sections of the SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act will be included in the offences against the accused once the victim’s caste details are verified.’