Migrant worker lynched by mob in India

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A migrant worker from eastern India was beaten to death by a group of local residents in the southern Indian state of Kerala after being accused of theft and questioned about whether he was “Bangladeshi,” in an incident that has reignited concerns over mob violence and identity-based profiling.

The victim, 31-year-old Ramnarayan Bhayar, was from Bilaspur district in Chhattisgarh, a mineral-rich state in central India. He had been living and working in Kanjikode, an industrial area near Walayar, close to Kerala’s border with the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu. The assault took place on Wednesday evening in Attappallam East, located in Palakkad district.

A video of the attack, which circulated locally, reportedly shows Bhayar being beaten while members of the group interrogate him and ask whether he was “Bangladeshi” — a term that rights advocates say is increasingly used in India as a racialized slur to question the legitimacy of poor migrants and Muslims regardless of citizenship.

Police said Bhayar was assaulted by a group acting with intent to cause serious harm and sustained multiple injuries. He was taken by ambulance to the Palakkad District Government Hospital in critical condition and died later that night.

Some local residents claimed Bhayar had entered several houses earlier in the day in an alleged attempt at burglary and was injured during an altercation. However, Bhayar’s family has rejected those claims, saying he had no criminal record and that no stolen items were recovered from him, according to Indian media reports.

Police have detained five people for questioning and said further arrests are likely as investigators determine individual roles in the assault.

Analysts say the latest incident underscores how suspicion, misinformation, and identity-based targeting can turn lethal, particularly for migrant workers who live on the margins of local communities and lack social protection.