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A man was allegedly beaten to death by a mob in Dakshina Kannada after reportedly shouting 'Pakistan Zindabad' during a cricket match. 25 people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Wayanad: A man who was allegedly beaten to death by a mob during a cricket match in Karnataka's Mangaluru district has been identified as a Kerala native. Ashraf, who hails from Pulpalli village in Wayanad's Sultan Bathery Taluk, was reportedly working as a manual labourer in Mangaluru since last month. The mob lynched him to death alleging that Ashraf raised pro-Pakistan slogans during a local cricket match. Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal confirmed that a case has been registered and 30 individuals have been charged, with 25 arrests made so far.
Speaking to reporters, Ashraf's family said that he was not affiliated with any outfit and suffers from mild mental disability. According to reports, Ashraf was engaged in a war-of-words with a fellow spectator at the venue. The spectator claimed that Ashraf shouted pro-Pakistan slogans. Following the incident, the body was reportedly left near Bhatra Kallurti temple in Kudupu for nearly two hours. The case was reportedly registered as a case of unnatural death but was later modified to mob lynching after postmortem report confirmed that Ashraf sustained internal injuries caused by multiple blows.
Sachin, a resident of Kudpu, is the primary accused. Others arrested include Devidas, Manjunath, Sayideep, Nitesh Kumar alias Santosh, Dikshit Kumar, Sandeep, Vivian Alvarez, Sridatta, Rahul, Pradeep Kumar, Manish Shetty, Dhanush, Dikshit, and Kishor Kumar, all residents of Kudpu and surrounding areas, according to the press conference.
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What Happened?
The incident occurred around 3:30 pm on Sunday during a cricket match near the Bhatra Kallurti Daivasthana in Kudpu. An unidentified man entered the field and an altercation ensued with the main accused, Sachin. The group involved in the cricket match then allegedly assaulted the man with hands, legs, and sticks, also stomping on him. Despite some attempts to intervene, the continuous and severe assault resulted in the man's death.
Information about the discovery of the body reached the rural police station around 5:30 pm the same day. Due to the lack of visible serious injuries on the body, a case of suspicious death was initially registered. Crime scene experts and forensic teams recommended an autopsy, which was conducted on Monday.
Death Due to Severe Blows
The preliminary post-mortem report indicates that the death was caused by bleeding due to severe blows to the back, internal injuries, shock, and lack of timely medical attention. The deceased also had injuries to his private parts. Based on the post-mortem report, a murder case has been registered, the Commissioner informed.
This is the first instance of a mob lynching within the Mangaluru City Police Commissionerate since the implementation of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) Act. A case has been registered against the accused at the Mangaluru Rural Police Station under Crime No. 37/2025, Sections 102(2), 189(2), 191(1), 191(3), and 240 of the Indian Penal Code 2023 (BNS 2023). DCPs Siddharth Goyal and Ravishankar were also present.
Former Corporator's Husband Involved
City Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal stated that a search is underway for other accused in the murder case. The name of Ravindra Nayak, husband of a former corporator, has also surfaced, and the investigation is continuing.
It is alleged that many people present at the scene recorded videos of the assault, but these videos have since been deleted.
Did He Say ‘Pakistan Zindabad’?
There are claims that the deceased shouted 'Pakistan Zindabad' upon entering the cricket ground, leading to the assault. However, City Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal has not confirmed this. However, Home Minister Parameshwara, in a media statement, said that the incident occurred after the deceased shouted 'Pakistan Zindabad' during a local cricket match. He added that action would be taken against the accused.
