Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 23: A tribal youth in Kerala was beaten to death by a mob after he allegedly stole food items from a nearby provisional store. While the victim was being assaulted, the onlookers kept clicking 'selfies' with his bruised body in the background.

The incident was reported in Attappady region. The deceased, identified as Madhu, resided in a nearby tribal enclave in Agali. The 27-year-old was tied to a pole and beaten with rods and sticks on charges of stealing food.

Madhu was rushed to the nearby medical facility after police was called to the spot. However, he succumbed to his injuries on route to the hospital.

Protests erupted in parts of the tribal-dominated Attappady district following the lynching of Madhu.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the murder, saying the police will take strict action against all those involved. “It is a blot on the societal and cultural progress Kerala has made so far,” Vijayan said.

Finance Minister Thomas Isaac also expressed disgust over the incident, saying Kerala needs to contemplate whether the society is losing basic human values.

That people have no hesitation to kill someone who had worn out of starvation, that they were enjoying themselves taking selfies during the act, is a distress signal," he was reported as saying.

The lynching of Madhu comes in the backdrop of two similar incidents reported within the last two months -- a mentally ill women was beaten by three women in Pallipuram and a transgender was stripped and assaulted by a mob in Thiruvananthapuram.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 23, 2018 05:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).