The police arrested five teenagers in connection with the attack on a 23-year-old man at Areekad near Tirur on Sunday. The incident came to light when a video of the attack was circulated on social media.
Salmanul Haris, 23, from Vaniyannu near Tirur, was allegedly corralled by a group of teenagers and beaten up on August 17. One of them was seen beating him with a lathi-like stick and another kicking him. The video showed the victim being roughed up and being dragged from his scooter. He was attacked for allegedly sending WhatsApp messages to the sister of one of the teenagers.
However, Haris did not disclose the attack to his family. His mother took him to a hospital as he fell sick. He was admitted to the Government District Hospital at Tirur on Saturday.
In her complaint to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his mother Zuhara Kalodi said Haris was mentally ill and demanded that those behind the moral policing attack be brought to book.
The police said they were dealing with the case carefully as those involved in the attack were minors. They were to be produced before a Juvenile Justice Court.
