Thiruvananthapuram, The special branch of Kerala Police has started a probe after reports emerged that 24 tribals at Marayur in the state's Idukki district have been expelled from their community for consuming beef.

Those who have been excommunicated have reportedly eaten beef from the hotels in and around the area.

A police officer on the condition of anonymity said they have started a probe to determine if the reports are true.

"The Marayur area is a place where there are lots of tribal colonies and the place is of hilly terrain. We have got information of tribals being expelled from their community. Apart from the police, other departments have also started looking into this," the police officer said.

The tribal settlements continue to observe their traditional ways of living and the head of the community (moopan) makes the decisions.

"We are not allowed to return to our houses and since we fear that if any of our family members support us, they might also be exonerated... so we are not going to our homes," said a person who has been "punished".

Meanwhile, the state tribal department and other agencies in Kerala have also started looking into the matter.