Migrant worker dies in Kerala, days after he was attacked for ‘stealing a hen’

50-year-old Manik Roy was attacked on June 24 by two people, who accused him of stealing a hen.

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Months after a tribal man from Attappadi was lynched to death in Kerala, another gruesome incident from Kollam has now surfaced.

A migrant labourer from West Bengal died on Sunday, days after he was attacked by two men who’d accused him of stealing a hen. According to the police, 50-year-old Manik Roy died following an injury to his head which he had sustained during the attack, and was allegedly left untreated.

Manik, who worked as a mason, had been living with his son and other relatives in Anchal in Kollam district for the past 3 years. On June 24, he was accosted by one Sasi Kurup, when he was returning home after buying a hen.

"Manik was accompanied by one more person. When this person ran away when questioned about the hen, Sasi started questioning Manik. Sasi claims that hens were being stolen from many houses and so he suspected Maik of stealing the hen he had with him. Sasi blocked Manik and threatened him. In the meantime, Sasi's friend Athif also reached the spot and together, the duo beat up Manik. They slapped him, following which, Manik started bleeding from his nose," a police officer part of the investigation told TNM.

According to the police, Manik sought treatment at a private hospital in Anchal the same day and was discharged on June 25. A police complaint was filed on June 25 and Sasi and Athif were arrested by the police the next day.

"Manik could speak Malayalam fluently and he told his landlord about the attack. Following this, Manik filed a complaint with us and we booked Sasi and Athif under section 341, 294 b, 323 and they were given bail," the police said.

Cause of death

After getting discharged from the hospital on June 25, Manik reportedly went back to work. However, he fell ill on Sunday morning and was taken to a private hospital in Anchal, where he died hours later.

Police said that although the injuries Manik sustained in the attack were not life-threatening, leaving it untreated led to complications.

"Although he was discharged from the hospital in a day, the doctor had asked him to take some medicines and go back for a review check-up. We understand that he did not follow this instructions and developed complications," the police maintain.

Post-mortem procedures have been completed and although the report is due, police said that the head injury is the cause of the death.

Following Manik's death, the police have registered a case of unnatural death and taken Sasi into custody.