The Kerala High Court on Thursday (March 19, 2026) canceled the bail granted to eight accused in the December 2025 Walayar mob lynching case.
A special court constituted under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act granted bail to these persons citing that their continued custody was not necessary for the investigation. Following this, the state government filed an appeal in the High Court. The case relates to the alleged mob lynching of Ram Narayan Baghel, a native of Jharkhand.
Order to surrender
Hearing the appeal on Thursday, Judge A. Bahdarudeen canceled their bail and ordered them to surrender before the relevant court within three days or the police could arrest them. The High Court observed that the trial court had granted them bail without informing or hearing the victim’s family, thereby violating Section 15A(3) of the SC/ST Act. It was a serious lapse and the Special Judge thoughtlessly granted bail in such a grave case of mob lynching, an offense which could lead to life imprisonment or death.
Moreover, granting bail at a time when the investigation is still in the preliminary stage could adversely affect the course of the investigation, especially since several of the accused had criminal antecedents, the court said.
He termed the grant of bail as a serious error on the part of the special judge, saying that such an error should not have occurred. Citing prosecution records, the court added that the lynching mob of the Jharkhand laborer was driven by discrimination based on the place of birth of the victim.
Those whose bail was canceled are Anu, Anandan, Rajesh, Shaji, Jaghadeeshkumar, Prasad, Murali and Vipin.
Published – 19 March 2026 22:02 IST
