How a Dalit Worker Was Lynched in ‘God’s Own Country’
A Dalit migrant worker named Ram Narayan was lynched in Palakkad, Kerala, by a group of men who accused him of theft and claimed he was an “illegal immigrant” from Bangladesh. The killing shows that even in Kerala, often seen as resistant to radical Hindu nationalist politics, some people now feel entitled to act on hate and deliver “punishment” without due process. It also shows that for a section of the public, the state no longer holds exclusive authority over justice.
Could Malayalam Actor’s Acquittal in Sexual Assault Case Be State-Enabled Impunity?
Malayalam actor Dileep has been acquitted in the 2017 case involving the abduction and sexual assault of a female actor. The verdict by a court in Kerala was based on the state’s failure to prove its own claims, not on any finding that cleared him of wrongdoing, and it stands as yet another example of how investigation and prosecution remain weak links in the justice system, especially in cases where the accused is powerful and influential.