Wayanad Horror: Tribal man dragged by car, two accused arrested

The Kerala police arrested two out of four accused on Tuesday, December 17, in connection with the assault of a tribal man in Mananthavady, Wayanad. The arrested individuals have been identified as Harshid and Abhiram. They were detained while traveling on a bus from Bangalore to Kalpetta. The other two accused – Nabeel and Vishnu – remain at large, and efforts to locate them are ongoing.

The incident occurred on Sunday, December 15, when Mathan, a 49-year-old tribal man, intervened in a quarrel between two tourist groups. Enraged by his intervention, the accused grabbed Mathan’s hand while seated in their car and dragged him along as they drove. A shocking video of the incident surfaced online, sparking public outrage. In the horrific video, Mathan can be seen being pulled along the road, his hand still clutching the car door. 

The victim sustained injuries to his arms and legs, and is receiving treatment at the Government Medical College, Mananthavady. 

The accused are charged with various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) including 296(b) [obscene act in any public place], 351(2) [criminal intimidation], 126(2) [offence of wrongful restraint], 115(2) [causing hurt to another person], 110 [Attempt to commit culpable homicide], 3(5) [two or more people work together with a common goal to commit a criminal act] 

Manthavady Inspector of police Augustine TA told TNM that the investigation to locate the missing accused is underway. He said that they registered the case on the same day of the incident with an attempt to murder charges. “Now the FIR will be updated with the names of the accused,” Augustine said.