16 Arrested for Lynching 2 Youths in Assam’s Karbi Anglong

TWO youths in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district were lynched by villagers mistaking them as child lifters on Friday. Sixteen persons have so far been nabbed by the Police. They had allegedly posted either hate messages or fake information on the incidents sparking violence across the state, Police said. Sixteen people have been arrested in connection with the brutal murders of Nilotpal Das and Abhijeet Nath near the Kathilangso waterfall. More people have been identified for involvement in the ghastly crime and will be nabbed soon, said Police. Meanwhile, Massive rallies were held in different parts of the city throughout the day today against the barbaric killing of the two youths. Candle marches were also organised by various organisations demanding justice for Abhijeet Nath and Nilotpal Das who were beaten to death by a frenzied mob .They had gone to Karbi Anglong for a pleasure trip when their vehicle was intercepted, and were beaten to death. At places, the protest turned ugly and the police had to resort to baton-charge to disperse a section of ‘unruly’ protesters. At RG Baruah Road, GNB Rood and Ganeshguri, people from all walks of life joined the protest marches and demanded that the case be tried on a fast-track basis. Several organisations also submitted memorandums demanding stringent action against the culprits. Guwahati Police Commissioner Hiren Nath said while the protest programme was largely peaceful, a section of them pelted stones at the police near the Guwahati Commerce College point.“The situation was brought under control immediately,” Nath said. Karbi Anglong’s Deputy Commissioner Mridul Kumar Mahanta has drawn flak for his comment on the lynching. Some socio-cultural organisations and people from various walks of life have taken strong exception to the ‘irresponsible’ comments reportedly made by Mahanta. Chief Secretary TY Das said that the State Government was seriously looking into the accusation against him. Mahanta had reportedly wondered if the two victims had sought permission from the administration to visit the “secluded” village and wondered what they were doing there around 8 pm IST .The arrested persons have been booked under Section 302/34 of IPC, and interrogation is on. Additional Director General of Police, Mukesh Agarwal, told News 18 that the ‘core group’ of 15 people directly involved in the attack have been picked up on basis of field information and technical intelligence. Eyewitnesses said the two boys were brutally hit by bamboo poles and wood, and tortured to death by a mob of ‘inebriated’ villagers.
“It happened when a local informed a group of villagers about two men travelling in a black car with an abducted child. This group of men were drinking at the nearby dhaba,” said a shopkeeper of the area who was present at the time of the incident. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal held a meeting today with top police officials and directed them to ensure that no one found guilty be spared. CM Sadanand Sonowal said that the culprits should be brought to book and no leniency should be exhibited in dealing with the incident, an official press release said.(pic courtesy : The Indian Express)