Keralam: Seven youths held over lynching of unidentified man in Palakkad

The Meenakshipuram police in Palakkad have arrested seven youths in connection with the lynching of an unidentified man at the Moolathara Dam. 

The incident reportedly occurred on October 10 near a toddy shop by the Moolathara Dam, a place situated near the Keralam–Tamil Nadu border. Local residents found the body on the morning of October 11. 

A post-mortem examination at Thrissur Medical College Hospital confirmed deep wounds and said the death was the result of a brutal assault.

Afterwards, the Meenakshipuram police searched CCTV footage. They initially detained five individuals, later detaining two more. 

Preliminary police suspicions indicate that an altercation may have broken out after the victim approached a group of youths who were drinking alcohol.

It is suspected that the deceased was likely a native of Tamil Nadu. The person had reportedly been staying in the Moolathara Dam area for the past week. 

The victim’s identity remains unconfirmed, and police are investigating whether additional people were involved in the murder.

Last year, in 2025, Ramnarayan Baghel (31), a migrant labourer from Chhattisgarh, was lynched by a mob in Palakkad’s Attappallam in Walayar. Baghel had travelled to Palakkad in search of work. When his job hunt failed, he planned to return home, but he was cornered by a local mob, falsely accused of theft, and subjected to a ‘mob trial’.