THRISSUR: A day after a man was stripped, thrashed and tied to a pole by a nine-member gang, in an alleged case of moral policing, at Areecode in Kodungallur, police said they were tracking the WhatsApp messages to identify the accused persons, who had gone absconding.
Meanwhile Cherpu circle inspector Manoj Kumar has taken over the investigation in the absence of Kodungallur CI, who is on Sabarimala duty. Meanwhile, Salam (47), of Azheekode, the victim, has been shifted from Kodungallur Taluk Government Hospital to a private hospital in Ernakulam as his health condition is serious.
According to Kodungallur sub-inspector Rajagopal, it is a suspected case of illicit relationship. “Salam has named one Babu, a coconut climber, as the main accused in the incident. On Saturday night Salam went to meet a woman in the village. We haven’t recorded the version of the woman as she also is missing. The local residents are not cooperating with the investigation. The versions of the residents and Salam are entirely different and we have to interrogate both parties to get a clear picture,” he said.
According to the residents, the nine-member group found Salam in suspicious circumstances and thrashed him. He was saved and admitted to Kodungallur Taluk Hospital by the police. A video clip and photographs of the assault have been circulating in the social media. The police are planning to seek the help of cyber cell to verify the photographs. Meanwhile, Salam has named five persons who attacked him, in his statement recorded by the police.