Moral Policing: Mob beats man to death at Malappuram in Kerala

In shocking instance of moral policing, a 40-year- old man was beaten to death by a mob at Malappuram in  Kerala early morning on Tuesday.  The police identified the victim as Punnassery Naseer, a resident of Koottil near Mankada in Malappuram district. 

A group of men laid siege to a house of a lady at Mankada in Malappuram with whom Naseer allegedly maintained a relationship and demanded the man to come out. When he refused, the mob broke open the door of the house and attacked him. The incident took place at around one in the morning. He was unconscious when the police reached the spot after an hour and took him to a hospital nearby. Naseer succumbed to injuries at the hospital at around 7 AM on Tuesday. 


" The exact motive of the murder can be ascertained only after further the probe. Primary investigation shows that the man was killed inside the house," said A H Safeer, Sub Inspector of Mankada police station said.The police have detained seven men in connection with the murder. 

The incident marks a sharp increase in moral policing cases in the state in recent times. On 9 June this year, a police sub inspector was detained for hours and  beaten up by a mob at Muvattupuzha alleging 'illicit relationship.' The mob had also attacked a lady, her husband and their two daughters for defending the police official. 

It may be recalled that Kerala had witnessed the popular 'Kiss of Love' protest against moral policing in 2014 after a group of Yuvamorcha protesters ransacked a restaurant at Kozhikode for allegedly allowing a free space to interact. There was a clamour for an effective legislation to contain moral policing.