KALPETTA: District Police Chief R Anand on Thursday appeared before the adalat led by SC/ST Commission chairman BS Maoji in the case where an Adivasi man was beaten up for asking an extra Rs.100 as wages for picking pepper. The Ambalavayal Police registered a case under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Ambalavayal native Arun (36), the son of the land owner, in the incident.

The incident related to the case took place last Friday evening. In his complaint, Babu alleged that Arun kicked him on the chin and beat him without provocation when he asked for 700 rupees as wages for picking pepper. The local promoter came to know about the incident after a shop owner informed him after seeing Babu's swollen face. Following this, Babu was admitted to Sulthan Bathery Taluk Hospital. Later, it was decided to shift Babu to Kozhikode Medical College as the injury was severe. In the meantime, Arun and his father came to the medical college, gave Babu Rs 1000 and asked him to say that he got injured after getting drunk.

Babu is not even able to eat food because of a fractured jaw. Meanwhile, Arun's father Damodaran said that Babu was not assaulted and that Arun was not at home on the day of the incident. Mananthavady Special Mobile Squad DySP PK Santhosh is conducting the investigation. The Human Rights Commission has registered a suo moto case in the incident. Human Rights Commission judicial member K Baijunath asked the district police chief to submit the report within 15 days.