Shocking abuse in Kerala: Tribal worker and auto driver beaten by resort owners

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state has been shocked by two cases of extreme cruelty in Palakkad’s Muthalamada and Thiruvananthapuram's Varkala. In both incidents, resort owners have been named as the accused. In Muthalamada, a tribal worker was beaten up and locked in a dark room without food for six days for drinking a small amount of alcohol without permission. Locals and police rescued the middle-aged man in a critical condition. In Varkala, an auto driver was assaulted on the street after a dispute over a higher fare. Here too, local residents came to the victim’s rescue.

Muthalamada incident

A tribal worker named Vellayan (54) was beaten up by the resort owner, Prabhu, for drinking a small amount of alcohol without permission. He was locked in a dark room without even a toilet and left hungry for six days. Locals, along with police, rescued him on Thursday around 1:30 a.m. under the leadership of P. Kalpanadevi, a Panchayat member and former president. Vellayan is currently receiving treatment at Palakkad District Hospital, and doctors say his condition is stable.

The accused, Prabhu (42) and his mother Ranganayika (70), went into hiding. Kollamkode Police have booked them under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Police said that they have intensified the search for them, and the accused already have existing MDMA-related cases against them.

Vellayan, a farm worker, had reportedly taken some stored toddy without permission, which triggered the brutal assault. Another worker, Thirunavakkarasan, saw the beating but was too afraid to report it immediately. When Vellayan’s condition worsened, Thirunavakkarasan informed a local Dalit leader.

Varkala incident

In Varkala, Sunilkumar (55), an autorickshaw driver from Kurakkanni with heart issues, was assaulted by a resort owner. Sunilkumar had gone to deliver goods to the resort, and a dispute arose when the owner demanded Rs. 100 extra fare. CCTV footage shows the resort owner repeatedly closing the autorickshaw doors while Sunilkumar tried to get out. When he escaped from one side, the owner and an accomplice caught and brutally beat him. Sunilkumar was admitted first to Varkala Taluk Hospital and then to Trivandrum Medical College.

Complaints had been filed earlier, but Varkala police did not take action until the video footage went public. There are accusations that police tried to settle the matter quietly.

Both incidents have sparked outrage, with local leaders calling them severe human rights violations, highlighting that tribal workers and ordinary citizens are often left powerless against such cruelty.