Teenage boy tied-up, beaten over theft suspicion in Kerala

A 17-year-old boy was tied and beaten up brutally by three members of a family over suspicion of theft in Kozhinjampara, Kerala. Police said the boy was beaten all over from head to toe and had serious injuries.

Palakkad: A 17-year-old boy was beaten brutally by three members of a family for allegedly stealing a couple of hundred rupees and mango from their shop near Kozhinjampara in Palakkad district.

According to a police inspector at Kozhinjampara police station, the incident happened on May 21, but the victim, who is from a Scheduled Caste, only filed a complaint on Thursday since he was hospitalised following the violent assault. 

"A case under relevant sections of the IPC and the SC/ST Act would be registered against the three accused -- a couple and their minor son. The couple is in our custody. Their son was sent home as he is a juvenile. They will be formally arrested tomorrow and produced before a court," the officer told PTI. 

The officer said that while the accused alleged that the boy stole thousands in cash and other materials from their shop, they have not made a complaint to that effect. 

"They (accused) tied up and beat the boy to their heart's content and no one there intervened to stop them or call the police as everyone was scared of them. They were very influential. Some people took videos of the incident," he said. 

Police said the boy was beaten all over from head to toe and had serious injuries. "It is fortunate he is alive," the officer said. 

There have been other similar incidents reported from Kerala in the past few years. 

Madhu, a tribal, was tied up and beaten to death by a mob back in 2018 in Attappady area of Palakkad for allegedly stealing food. 

More recently, on May 13, a group in Malappuram had beaten to death a 36-year-old man hailing from Bihar suspecting him of trying to commit theft. 

Police had said that Bihar-native Rajesh Manji was lynched by locals who caught him after he fell from the sunshade of a house near Kondotty in Malappuram district of the state.

(With inputs from PTI)