Walayar Mob Lynching Exposes Sangh Parivar’s Politics of Hate

Palakkad: Ramnarayan Bhayyal, a native of Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh who was lynched by a mob at Attappallam in Walayar, has been described as a victim of the Sangh Parivar’s politics of hate. The murder is seen as part of a wider pattern of attacks being carried out across the country by Sangh Parivar organisations in the name of racial and communal hatred.

Five people, including four BJP workers, have been arrested in the case. When Bhayyal told the attackers that he had come in search of his sister, they allegedly shouted at him, accusing him of being an illegal migrant from Bangladesh, and brutally assaulted him. Despite understanding Hindi and clearly comprehending what Bhayyal was saying, the attackers continued the assault. A video of the attack later circulated on social media.

According to Dr Hithesh Shankar, the police surgeon who conducted the post-mortem examination, Bhayyal had sustained injuries all over his body. The assault took place around 6 pm on Wednesday, and Bhayyal died later that night.

Those arrested are Ananthan (55) of East Attappallam, and BJP–RSS workers A Anu (38) of Attappallam Kallankadu, C Prasad (34) and C Murali (38) of Attappallam Mahallikadu, and K Bibin (30) of East Attappallam. Murali and Anu are also accused in a case from 15 years ago involving the attack on a CITU worker Stephen and DYFI worker Vinod at Attappallam. When the accused were produced in court, BJP workers had gathered there. RSS worker R Jineesh, an accused in the murder of SDPI activist Subair, was also reportedly present. However, sections of the media are accused of deliberately ignoring the RSS links of the accused and the role of Sangh Parivar hate politics in the crime.

Crime Branch Takes Over Investigation

The district crime branch has taken over the investigation into the lynching of migrant worker Ramnarayan Bhayyal. A seven-member investigation team has been formed under the leadership of DySP M Gopakumar.

At present, five accused, including BJP workers, are in remand. They have been charged with murder, unlawful assembly, wrongful confinement, and assault with deadly weapons. As Bhayyal belonged to a Dalit community, additional charges related to caste-based abuse and racial discrimination are likely to be invoked.

Two Hours of Brutal Assault

Police said Bhayyal was subjected to a brutal assault lasting nearly two hours. Even after he collapsed vomiting blood, he was beaten with sticks. According to police reports, women were also part of the attacking group. Around 20 people, including BJP workers, are under surveillance. Some suspects are believed to have fled the area, and efforts are underway to trace them using mobile phone location data with the help of the cyber police.