Police in Meenakshipuram, Palakkad district, Tamil Nadu, have arrested seven men for the murder of an unidentified man with mental health issues. The accused, aged between 22 and 35, allegedly beat the victim to death with dried coconut leaf stalks and broken tree branches while under the influence of alcohol. The assault took place on the night of October 10, near a local ward member’s house.
The victim, described by locals as a non-violent drifter who wandered the area, was first chased away from the colony around 10 pm. Later that night, the seven men gathered to drink and decided to approach him again. They caught up with him on the road and began the assault. When the man collapsed and begged for water, the accused allegedly offered him alcohol and continued to beat, kick, and punch him until he was in critical condition.
The group abandoned the dying man at the scene and walked away. His body was found approximately 300 metres from the initial attack site near Moolathara Dam. Police initially registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) for unnatural death because the victim was unidentified. However, after identifying the seven suspects, investigators updated the charge to Section 302 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for murder.
The seven arrested accused are identified as Karthik, Sanjay, Manikandan (alias Gunal), Kathiresan, Naveen, Prasanth Kumar, and Suryaprakash. Police have also placed an advertisement across Tamil Nadu to help identify the victim. The next step involves the police completing the investigation and filing the charge sheet before the court.