Kin of man lynched in M’luru, say he was mentally unwell, spoke less

Kozhikode: Mohammed Ashraf (37), who was lynched by a mob in Mangaluru on April 27, was buried at Cholakkundu Juma Masjid in his hometown of Parappur in Malappuram on Friday morning. Relatives and neighbours lined up to see his body that was kept inside an ambulance parked at a relative's home as a bank had attached his ancestral house. Those who came to pay their last respects demanded justice saying Ashraf was a person with learning difficulties.The mob, which assaulted the son of M Kunheethukutty and Rukhiya during a local cricket match at Kudupu, claimed that Ashraf had raised ‘pro-Pakistan slogans'.Ashraf's brother Abdul Jabbar identified his body at Wenlock district hospital in Mangaluru early on Wednesday morning. His body was first brought to Parappur, where the family lived earlier, and later shifted to Pulpally in Wayanad where they run a small shop. Jabbar told TOI that Ashraf was battling ‘mental issues' from Class IX and his family had treated him at many hospitals."They killed him in a brutal manner. His body is riddled with injuries and it seems they used weapons to hit him. We don't know why they attacked him. I can say one thing, anyone who meets my brother would easily know that he isn't normal. Yet, a mob killed him," he said.Jabbar said he doesn't know if the claim about Ashraf raising pro-Pakistan slogans is true, as there is no evidence. He questioned how such a claim could justify a brutal killing. He also mentioned that Ashraf last visited Pulpally during Eid.Family members said Ashraf never interfered in anyone's affairs. They said he was not affiliated to any organization and used to do numerous jobs, including scrap collection. "He never spoke much. He had some mental health issues. His family had taken him to many hospitals," said Siddique, a resident in his area.Jabbar said the persons who killed his brother should be given apt punishment. He said the family has faith in the ongoing police probe as the team had arrested 20 persons even before identifying the body.Opposition leader VD Satheesan, who condemned the murder, said Ashraf's family must get justice. CPM district secretary VP Anil issued a statement condemning Ashraf's lynching and said the incident showed the terrifying face of Hindutva fascism in the country.He said according to news reports, the mob attacked Ashraf because he drank water kept aside for the cricket team. The mob assaulted him just because he was a Muslim, he said, adding that after killing him, there was a vile attempt to portray him as a Pakistan supporter.