KALPETTA: Police have arrested two youngsters in connection with the incident in which a tribal man, Mathan, was dragged alongside a car for around 400m near Mananthavady in Wayanad. Muhammed Arshid, 25, and Abhiram K Sujith, 23, both natives of Kaniyambetta, were taken into custody from Kalpetta on Tuesday.
Muhammed Arshid was driving the car at the time of the incident. There were four persons in the vehicle and the police have identified the other two passengers.
According to the police, the other accused — Vishnu Kunnummal and Nabeel Kamar, natives of Panamaram — are absconding.
Arshid and Abhiram, who had gone to Mysuru after the incident, were nabbed by the Mananthavady police from Kalpetta while the former were returning home in bus.
“We have intensified the search for the other two accused. They will be caught soon,” said Mananthavady SHO Sunil Gopi. The accused have also been charged under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
SC/ST commission seeks report from police in a week
The police said the issues started with an argument between Arshid’s team and another group of travellers who had come to see the Koodalkadavu checkdam. Amid heated exchange, Arshid and team tried to attack a man in the other group with a stone. Seeing this, Mathan and other residents intervened. When Arshid’s team was about to leave, one of the persons inside the car grabbed Mathan’s hand, while another drove the car, dragging him for about 400m.
Mathan, a resident of Koodalkadavu, suffered serious injuries to his legs and thighs. He is undergoing treatment at Wayanad GMCH, Mananthavady.
“The accused said they had an argument with another group of travellers while on the way to visit a checkdam at Koodalkadavu. The issue escalated when the two groups met near the checkdam. When residents intervened, the accused felt frustrated and drove off. They said they didn’t notice that Mathan’s hand was stuck in the door and that he was being dragged along the road. We are verifying their statements. We will also check whether they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” said Sunil Gopi.
Meanwhile, the Kerala State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has sought a report on the incident. The Mananthavady DySP has been instructed to conduct a detailed investigation and submit the report within a week.