On Sunday, Kerala police arrested eight individuals in connection with the alleged murder of a 36-year-old man from Bihar on suspicion of theft.

Rajesh Manji was lynched by locals who caught him after he fell from the sunshade of a house near Kondotty. The accused individuals attempted to destroy evidence by erasing CCTV footage but were unsuccessful.

The victim was brought dead to the hospital, and post-mortem examination revealed that he had been assaulted by the accused with plastic pipes and sticks. A special Investigation Team has been formed to probe the case, and murder charges and section 342 (wrongful restrainment) of the Indian Penal Code have been invoked.

According to the police, preliminary investigations indicate that the victim was in the locality intending to commit theft. The remains of the victim have been handed over to his relatives.

Malappuram police chief Sujith Das has said that there is evidence of assault, and all eight accused have been arrested while one person was taken into custody for attempting to destroy the evidence.