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Tribal man beaten to death in Kerala

Palakkad: A 30-year-old tribal man was allegedly beaten to death by local people who accused him of stealing food articles from some shops at forest-fringe town Agali near here, triggering protests across the state today. Seven persons, including two who allegedly had a direct role in the yesterday's incident, had been detained, police said.
Tribals and human rights activists staged protests in various parts of the state after photos and visuals of the fatal attack went viral on social media besides being telecast by TV channels. "Local people killed my son. He would have lived somehow. The guilty should be punished," the victim's mother Malli told TV channels. CM Vijayan condemned the incident, describing it as a "blot on Kerala's progressive society." State police chief Loknath Behera said a special investigation team had been set up to probe the incident and Thrissur Range IG would oversee it.
The deceased, suspected to be mentally unsound, was identified as Madhu, hailing from Kadukumanna settlement of Attappady, one of the largest and most backward tribal hamlets in the state, police said.
He was thrashed by some local people last evening alleging that he had stolen food articles from shops in the town and later handed over to police.
Though he was rushed to nearby Agali government hospital by police, he vomited, collapsed and died on the way, police said. Some television channels aired visuals purportedly showing people taking selfies with Madhu with his hands tied.
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