Dalit Man Killed In Kerala: Govt Announces ₹10 Lakh Relief, Says Maruvakku Editor Ambika
A major development has come in the case of Ramnarayan Baghel, a Dalit migrant worker who was beaten to death in Kerala’s Palakkad district earlier this week.
After peaceful protests and sustained efforts by activists, the victim’s family, and media voices, the government has accepted all key demands related to the case.
According to Maruvakku Editor Ambika, who had earlier raised concerns on social media, saying the government had not accepted the demands, the situation has now changed.
In a fresh Facebook post shared on Monday, she confirmed that the government has agreed to all the demands after discussions held in the presence of Minister Rajan.
Dalit Man Lynched In Kerala Had Travelled For Better Wages, Accused Linked To RSS
As per the decision, the victim’s family will receive immediate compensation of at least ₹10 lakh.
The case will be treated as mob lynching, and all legal protection under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act will be provided.
Legal safeguards as laid down by the Supreme Court in the Tehseen Poonawalla case will also be strictly followed. The government has taken responsibility for bringing Ramnarayan Baghel’s body back to the country.
Those involved in the protest committee, including Abdul Jabbar, and the family of Ramnarayan Baghel, said the outcome was possible only because of the peaceful and patient protest.
Though the decisions came late, they welcomed the government’s move.
Ramnarayan Baghel was a 31-year-old Dalit construction worker from Sakti district in Chhattisgarh. He belonged to the Satnami Samaj, a Scheduled Caste community.
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He had studied only till Class 6 and spent his life doing daily wage work to support his family.
Baghel earned ₹200–300 a day whenever work was available. The small piece of land he owned in his village, Karhi in Hasaud tehsil, brought almost no income.
With rising expenses and no steady employment, he decided to migrate to Kerala in search of better wages, like many others from his village.
“He lived hand to mouth,” his uncle Kishan told The Indian Express. “Farming was not enough. Work here is not regular. He thought Kerala would give him better wages.”
Baghel left for Kerala just a few days before the incident. He travelled alone and did not own a mobile phone. Instead, he carried important phone numbers written on pieces of paper. It was one such paper that helped police contact his family after the attack.
He is survived by his ailing mother, his wife, and two young sons aged nine and ten. He was the sole breadwinner of the family.
The incident took place at Attappallam in Walayar, under Palakkad district. Police said a group of local men questioned Baghel after suspecting him to be a thief and a Bangladeshi national. What started as questioning soon turned violent.
Baghel was allegedly beaten mercilessly by the group, leading to his death. Police have registered the case as mob lynching, and several accused have been arrested.
Investigations revealed that four of the accused have links to the BJP and the RSS, giving the case a political angle. The accused, Anu, Prasad, Murali, Anandan, and Bipin, were reportedlyproduced before a local court and sent to judicial custody.
Police also stated that Murali and Anu were named in a violent attack case around 15 years ago involving workers linked to DYFI and CITU.
Murali is also an accused in another assault case that is currently pending before the Kerala High Court.
On Saturday, Baghel’s wife travelled to Kerala to claim her husband’s body.
Sakti Collector Amrit Vikas Topno confirmed to The Indian Express that he was contacted by Palakkad Collector Madhavikutty MS, who assured that the Kerala government would provide compensation. The Chhattisgarh government has also said it will try to assist the family.
