‘Keralam, where is your humanity?’ A doctor’s anguished response to yet another mob lynching

“If literacy does not make us more humane, what purpose does it serve?”

Forensic surgeon Hithesh Sanker has posed this painful question following the lynching of an unidentified man near Moolathara dam at Chittur, Palakkad, Keralam, expressing frustration over the recurrence of mob violence in a State that prides itself on literacy, social progress and humanistic values.

The man, reportedly suffering from mental health issues, was allegedly beaten to death by a mob in an isolated area near the dam. His body bore multiple injuries, with evidence of bleeding into the surrounding tissues, Dr. Sanker noted in a strongly worded Facebook post.

“Was there anyone waiting for him? Was there anyone who would listen to his pain?” he asked, drawing attention to the plight of a man whose identity remains unknown.

Dr. Sanker, a forensic surgeon at Government Medical College, Thrissur, was involved in the post-mortem examination of Ram Narayan Baghel, a 31-year-old migrant worker from Chhattisgarh who was lynched at Attappallam, Walayar, in December 2025. At the time, he had said that he had never witnessed such brutality by human beings.

Madhu lynching

The latest incident has renewed his anguish over the repeated targeting of vulnerable people. Referring also to the killing of Madhu, a tribal youth beaten to death by a mob in Attappady, he questioned how such violence could continue despite Keralam’s claims of social progress.

The circumstances may differ, he said, but one question remains: who gave a mob the right to punish someone on the basis of suspicion, unfamiliarity or helplessness? “A mob has no authority to administer punishment,” he said.

Dr. Sanker stressed that mental health issues do not deprive anyone of the right to life, dignity, treatment and protection. A person’s helplessness should increase the society’s responsibility to protect them, not make them a target.

“Suspicion is not a crime, and an accusation is not a conviction,” he wrote, calling for a thorough, impartial investigation and strict legal action against those found guilty.

Dr. Sanker urged the police to examine the role of everyone involved and ensure that the victim’s unknown identity does not weaken the pursuit of justice.

He also called for stronger protection for people with mental health conditions, homeless people and others living on society’s margins. A society’s true worth, he argued, lies not in its achievements or speeches but in how it treats its most vulnerable members.

“What kind of bravery is there in attacking someone who cannot defend themselves?” he asked.

The victim may remain unidentified, but his life mattered, Dr. Sanker said, insisting that silence in the face of repeated mob killings was no longer acceptable. “Justice must not die at the hands of a mob,” he wrote, calling for accountability and measures to prevent such tragedies from recurring.

“Even though we do not know the victim’s name, we have a moral obligation to demand justice on his behalf.”