GUWAHATI: A man in Assam was killed and three others were injured when a mob attacked them on the suspicion that they were cattle thieves.
The incident occurred at Diplunga Tea Estate in northern Assam's Biswanath district bringing back memories of the recent lynching of two youth from Guwahati in the state's Karbi Anglong district.
The attack in Biswanath was perpetrated when the victims were travelling in an auto van to buy "pigs" in the wee hours of Wednesday. The incident came to light on Thursday after a video of it had gone viral on the social media.
The mob carried out the attack with sticks, iron rods and machetes after intercepting the vehicle. The victims were seen in the video lying on the ground and pleading to the assailants with folded hands to spare their lives. They said they were going to a place to buy pigs. However, the mob kept assaulting them.
Deben Rajbongshi, Phoolchand Sahu, Bijoy Nayak and Pujen Rajbongshi, all belonging to "tea tribe" or Adivasi community, were grievously injured in the assault. Later, Deben succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. The three others were admitted to a hospital in Biswanath Chariali town.
The police said the victims were indeed transporting two stolen cows."They were travelling in an auto van with two stolen cows. There were altogether five people but one managed to escape. Around 100-150 people were involved in the attack. We have registered a case and we are looking for the assailants. We will nab them soon," police inspector Manoj Baruah told TNIE.
He said the condition of the injured persons was stable. In a similar incident in the state's Nagaon district last year, two people were lynched by a mob on the suspicion that they were cattle thieves.