Mangaluru: A recent fact-finding report claims Mangaluru police may have known from day one that Ashraf’s death was a mob lynching, but delayed action to shield the perpetrators.
Ashraf, a 38-year-old from Kerala, was fatally assaulted during a cricket event in Kudupu, Mangaluru, on April 27. Witnesses told activists the violence began when someone questioned Ashraf about using water meant for players and asked if he was Pakistani. Ravindra Nayak, spouse of a former BJP councillor, is alleged to have incited the mob but remains unnamed in the FIR.
Civil rights groups — PUCL, APCR, and AILAJ — released a report titled Lost Fraternity on June 28. Their probe, based on interviews with Ashraf’s family and activists, raises serious concerns. Police top brass including Commissioner Anupam Agrawal and DCP Siddharth Goyal reportedly visited the crime scene on the day of the death, where visible injuries should have indicated foul play. Still, only an Unnatural Death Report was filed initially.
Photographs and post-mortem visuals reveal severe wounds — cuts and bruises — on Ashraf’s chest, limbs, and face. His family was shocked at the extent of injuries.
Three junior officers were later suspended, yet questions remain about the accountability of senior officials who were present.
Allegations that Ashraf shouted “Pakistan” are cited as a pretext for the attack. But legal precedent suggests this does not justify violence.
Ashraf’s grieving mother, Rukhiya, demands justice for her peaceful son.