Rahul Gandhi visits family of Kerala tribal youth who was found dead in Kozhikode

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Monday, February 13, visited the family of 46-year-old Viswanathan, an adivasi man from Paravayal tribal colony of Kerala’s Wayanad district, who was found dead on Saturday, in the premises of Kozhikode Medical Hospital. Gandhi, who is the Member of Parliament from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, was accompanied by other senior Congress leaders of the state including Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan, KC Venugopal and MLA T Siddique.

Meanwhile, the State Human Rights Commission has registered a suo moto case after the family of the man alleged that Viswanathan was brutally assaulted by a group of people alleging that he stole a mobile phone. Following his death, the police have intensified investigations. Viswanathan, who came to the hospital for the childbirth of his wife, had first gone missing on February 9, Thursday.

Police had registered a case under section 174 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), after Viswanathan was found dead. The relatives have alleged that Viswanathan had informed them that some people had confronted him alleging that he stole a mobile phone while he was at the hospital as a bystander.

However police sources maintain that they neither received any evidence of assault nor a theft complaint and that they are in the process to examine CCTV visuals and recording statements from hospital staff.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that this is a case of mob lynching. There is a huge uproar on social media over his death and there are even allegations that he was targeted as he was an adivasi man.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who reached the Kozhikode airport on Sunday, February 12, visited the house of Vishwanathan in Wayanad district on Monday  morning along with party leaders. Gandhi, who represents Wayanad constituency in the Lok Sabha, spent some time with the family, listening to their woes and consoled them.

The family alleged that some persons had harassed Vishwanathan on February 9 after which he went missing. They also reiterate that some persons accused Vishwanathan of theft and roughed him up on February 9.