13 Involved In The Lynching And Murder Of A Tribal Man, Sentenced To 7 Years Of Imprisonment By A Kerala Court

Thirteen individuals who were involved in the lynching and murder of a tribal man named Madhu in 2018 have been sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment by a Kerala court. Yesterday, a special court was constituted for trying cases under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (SC/ST Act), which convicted fourteen out of the sixteen persons accused in the case. The first accused received 7 years of rigorous imprisonment, while the twelve other convicts were given 7 years of jail term each. The sixteenth accused was found guilty under Section 352 of the Indian Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 3 years.

According to the prosecution, Madhu, a mentally challenged tribal youth, was tied up and brutally beaten to death by the accused in Attappadi, Palakkad. The accused had reportedly apprehended Madhu from a nearby forest, accusing him of stealing rice from a grocery shop, before subjecting him to the violent assault.

Today, a Special Court convicted the accused of offenses punishable under the IPC and the SC/ST(PoA) Act. Earlier, the High Court had granted bail to the accused, subject to several conditions. However, the Special Court later revoked the bail, as it came to light that several witnesses had turned hostile under the influence of the accused. The High Court subsequently upheld the decision to cancel the bail in 2022.