Fact-Finding Report Released on Mob Lynching Incident in Mangaluru

Fact-Finding Report Released on Mob Lynching Incident in Mangaluru

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, June 28, 2025: A coalition of lawyers and activists released a fact-finding report on Saturday in Bengaluru regarding the alleged mob lynching of Mohammed Ashraf, a 39-year-old Muslim rag-picker, in Kudupu village, Mangaluru, in April.

Ashraf, a resident of Kerala, was reportedly murdered by a mob on April 27. According to allegations, the attackers resumed playing cricket at the scene following the incident. The investigation has been criticized for procedural lapses, including delays in filing an FIR and omitting names of key individuals from initial reports.

Several civil rights groups, including the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), and All India Lawyers Association for Justice (AILAJ), have expressed concerns over the integrity of the investigation.

"There have been multiple investigative and administrative failures. Home Minister G. Parameshwara’s statement claiming the victim raised ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans lacks corroboration from police reports or media coverage. The complaint only mentioned the accused hearing ‘Pakistan, Pakistan,’ not ‘Pakistan Zindabad,’" said advocate Vinay Sreenivasa during the report’s release.

The fact-finding team conducted an independent investigation in Kudupu and compiled their findings in a 164-page document titled ’Lost Fraternity: A Mob Lynching in Broad Daylight — A Betrayal of the Promise of the Constitution’. The report includes a detailed timeline, testimonies from the victim’s family and eyewitnesses, and an analysis of the socio-political climate in Dakshina Kannada.

Mavalli Sankar, State Convenor of the Karnataka Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (Ambedkar Vada), highlighted the systemic failures in ensuring impartial investigations in cases involving marginalized communities.

The report, which will be submitted to the government next week, includes recommendations for the state government, district administrations, and police to improve investigation protocols for incidents involving communal violence and hate crimes.