Mob lynching in Kerala’s Kozhikode echoes the horror of Madhu’s death 20-year-old Sooraj Ambalakkandy was lynched by a mob, consisting of his neighbour and two sons, near the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode. Synopsis: Kerala finds itself grappling with a horrifying mob lynching — the tragic death of 20-year-old Sooraj Ambalakkandy from Palakkottuvayal, near the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode. The arrested people include Sooraj’s neighbour, Manoj, along with his twin sons, Ajay (20) and Vijay (20). Two years after the Mannarkad Special Court for cases under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the Palakkad district delivered the verdict in the Attappadi Madhu lynching case, another similar incident has come to light in Kerala. When Justice KM Ratheesh Kumar delivered the verdict, it was hailed as a landmark judgement, and it resonated deeply across Kerala. It was a resounding slap against those who dare to take the law into their own hands. The then-Palakkad district police chief R Vishwanath, who led the investigation into the brutal killing, called the verdict a landmark in judicial history, adding that the ruling served as a strong warning against mob lynching. “It firmly upholds that no individual has the authority to take the law into their own hands. Regardless of the circumstances, no one is justified in assaulting another person. The judgment also cautions against coordinated efforts aimed at undermining the course of justice,” he had said. Madhu, a tribal youth from Attappadi who was said to be mentally ill, was beaten to death on 22 February 2018, after being caught in a cave in the Ajamudi forest, tied up, and mercilessly assaulted by a group of locals who accused him of theft. At that time, the Kerala media had said that the Madhu lynching case was a textbook example for the police and judiciary to study carefully, as the state had never before witnessed such a brutal instance of mob violence. The haunting image of Madhu’s helpless face remains a scar on Kerala’s collective conscience, a stark reminder of the state’s failure to protect its most marginalised. However, seven years after the mob brutally lynched Madhu, that scar has been torn open. Kerala now finds itself grappling with another horrifying mob lynching — the tragic death of 20-year-old Sooraj Ambalakkandy from Palakkottuvayal, near the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode. Also Read: Kerala court holds 14 people guilty, acquits two Family in shock, authorities on alert to ensure peace Sooraj was allegedly beaten to death by a 15-member gang at Palakkottuvayal on the night of Saturday, 26 April. The arrested people include Sooraj’s neighbour, Manoj, along with his twin sons, Ajay (20) and Vijay (20). When South First contacted the Medical College Hospital police, they confirmed that Sooraj was attacked and killed in the street during a temple festival. Sooraj, son of Bobby Ambalakkandy, was working at a car service centre in Chevayur. According to initial findings, a dispute over vehicle parking at SNES College in Chathamangalam reportedly triggered the murder. It is said that Sooraj had intervened on behalf of a friend during an argument, which angered Manoj’s family. VP Vijayan, the Palakkottuvayal branch secretary of the CPI(M) and a neighbour of Sooraj, told South First that Sooraj had gone to the college to support a friend involved in a parking dispute. Later, a group led by the accused confronted Sooraj, reportedly assaulting him brutally — kicking and hitting him after pushing him to the ground. The fatal assault occurred at around 11 pm on Saturday, near a shop at Palakkottuvayal. Though Sooraj was rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital with grievous injuries, doctors declared him dead around 12.30 am. Sunil Kumar PV, a close relative of Sooraj, told South First, “We still cannot comprehend what happened. We heard that he was found lying on the roadside. Some say he was alive while being taken to the hospital, but succumbed later. Sooraj belonged to a middle-class family.” “His father, Bobby and mother, Rasana, worked hard to provide for their children. He has an elder brother, Adithyan, and a grandmother who lives with them. The whole family is in deep shock,” he said. Sooraj’s funeral was held at the public crematorium in Puthiyapalam on Sunday. When South First contacted Mayanad Councillor Smitha Vallissery regarding the incident, she declined to comment, citing the sensitivity of the matter as both the victim and the accused hail from the same locality. She added that the police had already taken the accused into custody and were focusing on maintaining peace in the area. Following Sooraj’s death, tension gripped Palakkottuvayal. Enraged locals vandalised Manoj’s house and damaged his car. In response to the volatile situation, police forces have been deployed in the locality to prevent any further untoward incidents. ‘Premeditated act’ Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) N Umesh said that Sooraj was lynched in a premeditated attack. Nine individuals, including three key accused, Manoj and his sons, have been detained, with one juvenile among them. The ACP confirmed that the assailants, mostly of the same age as Sooraj, had planned to kill him. While the initial dispute involved Sooraj’s friend, Aswanth, and Manoj’s son, the situation escalated, and Sooraj became the target, possibly due to his aggressive behaviour. Despite recognising the fatal nature of the assault, the attackers continued to beat him, pressing his neck and stomach with their feet, he said. When South First reached out to Prathyush, a friend of Sooraj, he mentioned that the conflict stemmed from a junior-senior dispute at college. Initially, the group targeted Ashwanth, but when Sooraj stepped in to mediate, they turned on him. Manoj and his associates brutally attacked him. However, the police stated that they had only the preliminary statements and were gathering further information from friends and family. Also Read: Kerala governor declines CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s dinner invitation Name changed, but brutality persists In the Attappadi Madhu lynching case, 13 individuals were sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment, while the 16th accused, Muneer, received a three-month jail term for assault. The first accused, M Hussain, was fined ₹1,05,000 and convicted under Section 304 Part II of the IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). The remaining 12 accused were fined ₹1,18,000 and convicted under Sections 326 (causing grievous hurt) and 367 (kidnapping for harm), which carry severe penalties, including life imprisonment. The convicts were held accountable under the Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Scheduled Tribe (ST) Act as well. Muneer, the 16th accused, was found guilty of using criminal force and sentenced to simple imprisonment, with the option to pay a fine of ₹500, which would release him due to time already served during remand. Special Public Prosecutor Rajesh M Menon noted that the case weakened as witnesses turned hostile, leaving only circumstantial evidence to secure the convictions. Digital evidence was crucial in linking the accused to the crime. At the time, Alathur MP K Radhakrishnan, the then-minister for welfare of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and backward classes, called the verdict a partial relief, acknowledging its potential to bring closure to Madhu’s family and the people of Kerala. A similar aggressive mob, once again taking the law into their own hands, brutally killed a young man, yet there seems to be no outcry for justice from any corner. (Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)