Memory of brother’s lynching inspired man to aid Kerala victim’s family

Ram Narayan’s lynching in Kerala’s Walayar left many unsettled, but for Abdul Jabbar, it brought back memories of his brother, Ashraf, who faced a similar Hindutva mob attack in Mangaluru in Karnataka.

Haunted by his brother’s death, Jabbar vowed to bring justice to the victim’s family, ensuring that no other lynching like this happens again.

Ram Narayan, a 31-year-old Dalit migrant worker from Chhattisgarh, was lynched in Walayar on December 17 on suspicion of theft, and was asked, “Are you a Bangladeshi?” during the assault. A group of locals from the Attappallam area cornered him on suspicion of theft. He was brutally assaulted and later succumbed to his injuries.

A software developer in Ernakulam, Jabbar, immediately left for Thrissur Medical College after seeing the video of Ram Narayan’s assault. Jabbar claimed that upon arrival, he saw the police treating the victim’s family as culprits and behaving rudely with them.

Meanwhile, it was a dire situation at the mortuary, with only the victim’s cousin and friend present, unaware of the seriousness of the incident. Speaking to Maktoob Media, Jabbar recounted that he had to explain to them that it was a hate crime and needed to be addressed as such.

The police allegedly appeared to want to “get rid of the case” quickly. They tried collecting Rs 25,000 from the family for ambulance expenses and sending the victim’s body to his hometown in Chhattisgarh

“This is how simply you are handling a case in which a Hindutva mob beat an Indian Dalit citizen to death, shouting ‘Aren’t you a Bangladeshi’?” he asked the police, blocking the police from sending the body.

Following the confrontation at the police station, Jabbar reached out to Karnataka’s People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) advocate Manisha and formed a group with other advocates and representatives from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Red Star, along with the Solidarity Youth Movement. With Jabbar leading as the convener, they created an action committee, which also organised a protest at the Thrissur Municipal Corporation.

The committee demanded Rs 25 lakh compensation

As the victim’s family finally reached Kerala, exhausted from changing three stations, Ram Narayan’s wife, children, and mother were provided accommodation and food at the Welfare Party office.

The action committee demanded Rs 25 lakh compensation from the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund, asserting that it shouldn’t be under Rs 10 lakh. The committee’s demands included the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), application of mob lynching provisions, and victim compensation in line with the Tehseen Poonawalla guidelines

They further demanded that the case be registered under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The Tehseen Poonawalla guidelines prevent mob lynching, while also protecting victims under the rule and punishing officials who fail to stop the violence. Under Article 141 of the Constitution, these rules are legally mandatory across India, and courts continue to use them, ensuring governments follow through.

During a meeting with Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan, all their demands were accepted. While the Chief Secretary was assigned the responsibility of ensuring the implementation of Tehseen Poonawalla guidelines, Section 132 (assault or use of criminal force against a public servant) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was added, and Rs 10 lakh compensation was given to the victim’s family.

According to Maktoob Media, Jabbar refused to leave the mortuary until all demands were met, noting that the victim’s family was unaware of their rights and legal processes.

“We never got justice in my brother Ashraf’s case. That is why I became involved in this,” Jabbar said, emphasising, “What happened to my brother should not happen again.”

Ashraf was brutally attacked by a mob for allegedly chanting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ during a local cricket match in Mangaluru. Jabbar recounted how there was no victim compensation at the time, no formation of an SIT, and no implementation of the guidelines.

While a charge sheet was formed within 90 days, 15 accused in the case were granted bail and only six remained in jail.

Jabbar stated that the random and senseless nature of mob violence, like his brother’s and Ram Narayan’s, is what inspired him to act. He recalled the torture his brother faced, including having chilli powder rubbed into his wounds, noting that this pain was the reason he stood in support outside the Thrissur Mortuary.

“Such cruelty does not arise overnight but is the product of years of sustained hate campaigns by the Sangh Parivar,” he said.

He added, “This is the result of communal hatred, and it must be stopped.”

Jabbar said he believed Kerala was different, “but this has shown that Kerala is also part of this reality.”

(With inputs from Maktoom Media)