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BHOPAL/THRISSUR: Kerala govt promised on Monday a compensation of at least Rs 10 lakh to the family of Ramnarayan Baghel, a 31-year-old Dalit daily wage labourer from Chhattisgarh, who was lynched by a mob in Walayar, Palakkad district, on Wednesday after being suspected of being a “Bangladeshi” or a thief. chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan called the killing “unacceptable in a progressive society” and ordered strict action.The assurance came after Baghel’s family, currently in Kerala, refused to accept his body until justice and financial aid were guaranteed. Following talks, authorities said the body will be airlifted from Kochi to Raipur Tuesday at state expense.Baghel arrived in Palakkad on Dec 13 seeking work and found employment as a construction labourer. Four days later, suspicion proved fatal. Vijayan said an SIT, led by Palakkad SP, is probing the case, with directions to review details and take necessary legal steps. Kerala police registered a case and arrested five suspects. They were produced before court and sent to judicial custody. Further arrests are likely.Police said the assault occurred at Attappallam East. Before death, hospital staff said Baghel told them he was attacked by a mob accusing him of theft. Investigators said no evidence of theft was found in his possession. Autopsy at Govt Medical College and Hospital in Thrissur showed death due to excessive bleeding caused by severe blunt force wounds to head and other body parts. Medical college hospital sources said embalming would be completed by Monday night. The killing has sparked political row after videos surfaced showing the mob questioning Baghel’s identity and asking if he was a “Bangladeshi”.
