Retired Police Commanding Officer P. Ramankutty, a recipient of the Chief Minister’s Vishista Seva Medal, was found dead under highly suspicious circumstances in Wayanad on 22 November. His body was recovered from a shallow well with a 25-kg stone tied to his neck, a detail that has left the local Hindu community shocked and convinced that this was not suicide but a targeted killing.
As per Organiser reports, the incident occurred barely a day after a mob of nearly 60 individuals, believed to include SDPI workers, attacked his home in Vaduvanchal on the night of 21 November. According to family members and local residents, the mob surrounded the house, issued threats, and prevented relatives from entering while shouting that Ramankutty would “not be allowed to escape.”
His son-in-law, Renjith, in a detailed letter to the Chief Minister, describes how he and his wife arrived at the scene only to find the house encircled by armed men. He alleges that Islamist Faizal, an SDPI worker who even appeared wearing a police overcoat, led the attack and physically confronted them. Renjith says the attackers made it clear that nothing short of Ramankutty’s death would satisfy them.
Unable to find him inside the house, the family searched through the night. In the early hours of the next day, Ramankutty’s mobile phone was found near the well behind the house. When the well was drained, the family made the devastating discovery: his body, weighed down by a huge stone, lying at the bottom. Locals point out that the well is shallow, making the police theory of suicide implausible.
Hindu organizations strongly believe the assault and the death are directly linked. According to them, a minor dispute involving a bus journey was used as a manufactured pretext to mobilize SDPI cadre, settle personal grudges, and target a respected Hindu officer. They have described the episode as a “Taliban-style mob attack” and insist that Ramankutty was hunted down and killed.
The accusations become even more serious with Renjith’s claim that Faizal, who allegedly played a central role in the mob, holds disproportionate influence over police stations under the Batheri DySP. He alleges that Faizal skipped his official duties on the night of the incident and used WhatsApp groups to gather SDPI members for the attack.
Despite the shocking circumstances, police have not questioned the main suspects, including Faizal and Shamnad. Instead, officers appear inclined to classify the case as suicide, a stance that has angered both the family and Hindu groups, who see this as an attempt to shield politically connected individuals.
Hindu Aikyavedi has warned that it will not allow the matter to be brushed aside. The organization has demanded a full-scale murder investigation, action against the accused SDPI workers, and scrutiny of police officers who allegedly failed to respond despite repeated calls for help that night.
At the heart of the issue is a grieving family demanding justice for a man who served the state with distinction. Their question echoes through Wayanad: How can a decorated Hindu officer be attacked, disappear during a mob assault, and later be found dead with a stone tied to his neck, and yet the state does not treat it as murder?
Hindu organizations are preparing for strong agitation if authorities continue to ignore the gravity of the case, asserting that justice for Ramankutty is not just a family’s demand but a test of whether law and order still holds meaning in Kerala.
