Body of alleged mob lynching victim not yet released as relatives fail to turn up

April 09, 2024 08:56 pm | Updated 08:56 pm IST - KOCHI

The body of the migrant worker who was allegedly beaten to death by a mob at Valakam panchayat in Muvattupuzha continues to remain at the Muvattupuzha taluk hospital after the police declined to release the body to two persons sent by the victim’s brother-in-law on the grounds that they were not blood relatives of the victim.

Asok Das, 32, of Arunachal Pradesh, was allegedly chased down, tied to a pole and beaten to death in what the police confirmed to be a case of mob lynching after he emerged from a woman’s rented house at Valakam last Thursday night. He was found bleeding, which aroused suspicion among local residents. The Muvattupuzha police have since arrested 10 persons, including on charges of murder.

The body was supposed to be released to relatives on Tuesday. But it emerged that the two persons who turned up at the Muvattupuzha police station were friends of the victim’s brother-in-law Krishnakanta Das who lives in Cooch Behar in West Bengal. “We can only hand over the body to blood relatives and issue a no-objection certificate for the transportation of the body back home. We have mailed the local police station at Aalo in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh for proper authorisation,” said Muvattupuzha police sources.

George Mathew, coordinator, Progressive Workers Organisation, who contacted the victim’s relatives, said that fear, on learning that the victim was allegedly beaten to death, and poor financial conditions stopped them from coming to Kochi to receive the body. “There should be an inter-State system for proper coordination in such cases. The Ernakulam district administration could liaise with their counterparts and the Labour department in Arunachal Pradesh to arrange for a ticket to facilitate a family member to come and receive the body,” he said. Mr. Mathew has also written a letter to that effect to the District Collector.

A video message has since emerged of the victim’s sister Anjali Das and husband Krishnakanta Das pleading for help. “The local police had informed us that we could send someone to get the body released. Based on this, we have sent two persons there by mobilising ₹25,000. We are left with no money to travel there,” said Mr. Krishnakanta Das in the message.

It has emerged that the victim’s father had migrated from West Bengal to Arunachal Pradesh long ago. The family is economically backward and lives in the hinterland with little transportation facilities.