No money to travel to Kerala, family of Ashok Das beaten to death by mob, fail to turn up to receive body

KOCHI: The family of Ashok Das (24), a native of Arunachal Pradesh, who was beaten to death by a mob in Muvattupuzha, failed to turn up to receive the body. His relatives said that they don’t have the money to come to Kerala from Arunachal Pradesh.

The Ernakulam district administration had earlier informed that they would help to send the body home. His relatives should first come and receive the body. The youth was beaten on April 4.

Ashok Das was a Chinese cook at a hotel called Ruchikoottu in Valakam Junction. While working here, he befriended a native of Thiruvaniyoor. He left Valakam a month ago and returned on the day of the incident. The youth in an inebriated condition went to meet her at her rented flat at 5.30 pm. Only a lawyer who lives with her was there at that time. Although he returned, he came back at night and smashed the showcase and other things in the house during an argument.

He came before a crowd while running away with his injured hand. The eyewitnesses had earlier testified that Ashok Das was not beaten to death by the mob. When he tried to run away with the injured hand, he was questioned, then tied him to a post and reported to the police. The eyewitnesses said that he was not beaten after he was tied to a post and that they are not sure whether he was beaten before that.

However, the post-mortem report said the cause of death was the injury and internal bleeding due to beating. Some from Valakam were arrested in connection with the death of Ashok Das.