The Ranny police took into custody a group of residents from the Karimutty area in Pathanamthitta for allegedly assaulting a 58-year-old man on suspicion of peeping into houses, officials said on Wednesday.

The complainant, Varghese Mathew, a resident of Angadi in Pathanamthitta, was on his way to bring back his buffalo from a nearby field on Sunday night when the alleged incident occurred.

According to his complaint, Varghese, who was under the influence of alcohol, lost his way and wandered into the Karingetti area, where he was confronted by a group of local residents. As the confrontation escalated into a scuffle, Varghese alleged that he fell to the ground and hit his head, sustaining injuries.

However, the Ranny Circle Inspector told Onmanorama that Varghese had allegedly been peeping into houses in the area, prompting residents to confront him.

"He had allegedly been peeping into houses on multiple occasions, and women in the area had complained about the issue. That ultimately led to the confrontation," the officer said.

According to the police, Varghese was under the influence of alcohol and became aggressive when questioned about his actions.

"The residents told us they restrained him after he became violent," the officer said.

The police further stated that, following several complaints of peeping, local residents examined CCTV footage and allegedly identified Varghese before confronting him.

"The complainant also has two theft cases registered against him," the officer added.

Police said that six to seven residents have been taken into custody and are being questioned in connection with the incident.

A case has been registered under Sections 117(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.