A postmortem report has confirmed that Ashraf, a mentally disabled Muslim youth from Kerala, was brutally lynched by a Hindutva mob in Mangaluru on April 27. The forensic findings, finalized on July 15, detail more than 35 injuries inflicted with blunt objects, confirming that the cumulative trauma led to his death.
Conducted at Wenlock District Hospital a day after the incident, the autopsy revealed extensive external and internal injuries—including abrasions, contusions, lacerations, and distinctive tramline wounds typically caused by cylindrical objects such as sticks or wooden bats. The injuries were fresh, antemortem, and suggest a sustained and violent assault.
Key injuries included severe swelling and bruising around Ashraf’s eyes, a cut beneath his right eye, abrasions across his back, and deep contusions on his thighs and buttocks. Internal bleeding and shock, stemming from blows to his head, limbs, genitals, and torso, were identified as the primary causes of death.
A forensic expert, Dr. Rashmi KS, corroborated that the injuries matched the weapons examined, confirming the use of wooden logs and similar blunt instruments in the attack.
Ashraf, a scrap collector from Wayanad’s Pulpally, had travelled to Kudupu for a cricket tournament when he was allegedly targeted for his Muslim identity. Eyewitnesses and civil society groups claim he was assaulted by a mob led by Ravindra Nayak, husband of BJP corporator Sangeetha Nayak, and members of a Hindutva outfit known as “Samrat Guys.” Reports state that Ashraf was beaten with a cricket bat and other objects until he collapsed. He was later found near the Bhattra Kallurti Daivasthana and declared dead at a nearby hospital.
Despite the brutality of the attack, police initially registered the case as an “unnatural death,” suggesting Ashraf had fallen while intoxicated—an assertion sharply contradicted by the postmortem findings. Subsequently, a narrative was circulated alleging that Ashraf had chanted “Pakistan Zindabad,” an unverified claim used by some to justify the lynching.
Human rights organisations, including the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) – Karnataka, the All India Lawyers Association for Justice, and the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, have strongly condemned the incident in a joint fact-finding report titled “Lost Fraternity: A Mob Lynching in Broad Daylight.” The report describes the killing as a “betrayal of the Constitution” and criticizes the authorities for failing to act decisively or impartially.
Ashraf’s death has reignited concerns about rising hate crimes and the apparent erosion of institutional accountability in India. Civil rights groups are now demanding a transparent investigation, prosecution of the perpetrators, and justice for the victim’s family.
