Palakkad: The 31-year-old migrant worker who lost his life in a mob lynching at Attappallam in Walayar was subjected to shocking brutality before his death.

Suspected of theft, a group of local residents surrounded him and assaulted him under the pretext of questioning. The deceased has been identified as Ramanarayan Bhaiyar, a native of Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh.

The incident occurred around 6 pm on Wednesday. Ramanarayan was reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time, though no stolen items were found in his possession.

After the assault, he collapsed to the ground, bleeding from the mouth. Police took 10 local residents into custody and formally recorded the arrests of five among them.

Walayar Inspector N S Rajeev said injury marks were visible on Ramanarayan’s body, adding that the exact cause of death would be confirmed only after the post-mortem report.

The incident has revived memories of a similar case in 2018, when Madhu, a tribal youth from the Kadukumanna tribal settlement near Mukkali in Attappady, was lynched to death by a mob. Madhu, who had mental health issues, was tied up and brutally beaten after being accused of theft. Disturbing visuals of the assault later surfaced, and 13 of the 14 convicts in the case were sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹1 lakh each.