Tribal man locked up in resort for stealing liquor: Prime accused Prabhu surrenders after two months
Ranganayaki, the second accused and Prabhu’s mother, was arrested and remanded a day after the rescue.
Ranganayaki, the second accused and Prabhu’s mother, was arrested and remanded a day after the rescue.
Ranganayaki, the second accused and Prabhu’s mother, was arrested and remanded a day after the rescue.
Palakkad: The prime accused in the case of a tribal man who was allegedly locked up and starved for five days at a farm stay in Edukkupara, Muthalamada, has surrendered before the court after over two months on the run. Prabhu (40), the owner of the Western Gateway Farm Stay, appeared before the Special Court for SC/ST Atrocities Cases in Mannarkkad on Saturday.
The incident took place in August when Chambukkuzhi Vellaiyan (54), a worker at the resort, was detained after consuming liquor from a bottle found on the property. He was allegedly beaten, tied up, and confined to a small room, receiving food only once a day. The ordeal came to light after another employee, Thirunavukkarasu, overheard a conversation between Prabhu and his mother, Ranganayaki, about Vellaiyan’s confinement.
Fearing for Vellaiyan’s life, Thirunavukkarasu walked nearly four kilometres on August 22 to inform local Dalit leader Shivarajan, who returned with villagers and panchayat officials. When they reached the resort, Prabhu and his associates fled. Vellaiyan was rescued later that night with the help of the Kollengode police.
“They tied my legs, beat me continuously for five days, and locked me in a toilet-sized room. No one could hear me scream. The farmland is nearly 45 acres, completely isolated from the outside world,” Vellaiyan earlier told Onmanorama.
Ranganayaki, the second accused and Prabhu’s mother, was arrested and remanded a day after the rescue. Prabhu, an IT expert, had been absconding since then, reportedly using encrypted apps to contact relatives without a traceable mobile number.
A special investigation team led by Chittur DySP had been searching for him across Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. Following intensified efforts, Prabhu surrendered voluntarily before the Mannarkkad court.
He has been charged under Sections 127(1) (wrongful confinement), 127(3) (wrongful confinement for more than three days), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and 109(3)(5) (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.