Kasaragod: A mob that thrashed a 48-year-old trader minutes before he collapsed and died is likely to go scot-free.

The local police have said the Kasaragod trader who was assaulted by a mob over allegations of misbehavior with a woman, died of heart attack and no injury marks were found on his body.

C H Mohammad Rafiq, 48, a resident of Chemmanad, died at a private hospital in Ashwanai Nagar, on Saturday.

Deputy Superintendent of Police P Balakrishnan Nair said the doctors who conducted the autopsy informed that Rafiq had three blockages in his heart and there were no injury marks on the body.

Crucially, the autopsy conducted on Sunday confirmed that Rafiq died of cardiac arrest.

It is alleged that Rafiq had tried to misbehave with a 35-year-old woman who had come to a hospital for the treatment of her son. When the woman questioned Rafiq on his misbehaviour, he fled from the hospital. The woman raised an alarm following which a group of people who were sitting on the roadside caught hold of Rafiq and allegedly thrashed him.

Though the mob tried to bring Rafiq back to the incident spot, he collapsed on the way. Soon he was rushed to a nearby hospital but his life could not be saved. When he was brought to hospital his mouth was spilling froath and foam, as sign of serious health complications.

The CCTV footage from the area showed that a group of people were pushing and dragging Rafiq. After inquest the body was shifted to the Pariyaram Government Medical College.

The Kasaragod Vanitha Police had registered a case based on the complaint filed by the woman. A separate case of unnatural death was also registered by the Town Police in connection with the incident.