Assam's Kokrajhar Tense After Mob Kills Man Over Cattle Theft Suspicion

Two people were killed, and three others were seriously injured after a mob attacked them on suspicion of cattle theft in Assam's Kokrajhar on Monday.

The police said that the victims were associated with a road construction project and were returning after a site inspection in a vehicle on Monday night.

"When the vehicle reached the Gouri Nagar-Mashing Road stretch, a group of local villagers allegedly attempted to stop it, suspecting the occupants to be cattle lifters," the police said after initial investigation.

The vehicle then met with an accident, following which the mob attacked the occupants and set the vehicle on fire.

The police and fire and emergency services personnel then rushed to the spot after being alerted by local residents.

They then took the victims to the hospital. Sikhna Jwhwlao Bismit, alias Raja, had died on the spot, while Sunil Murmu died of his injuries later.

Boronda Basumatary, the contractor and father-in-law of Sikhna Jwhwlao said he had a temporary labourers' camp North of the incident spot, and had sent his son-in-law, JCB driver and his son to the camp to bring spades in the evening, but their vehicle came under attack by a group of Adivasi youths where Sidhu-Kanhu Murmu Bhavan is being built at a cost of Rs 10 crore.

He said the vehicle of his son-in-law was chased by a group of Adivasi youths in false propaganda of being cow thieves, and subsequently, their vehicle was stopped by another group alongthe  National Highway and pelted with stones, but to save them from being attacked, they did not stop the vehicle and knocked down two of the attackers, Sunil and Mahesh Murmu. However, the vehicle turned turtle on the roadside and was attacked with lathis and sharp weapons, where Sikhna was killed on the spot, while JCB driver, Jubiras and his son, Prabhat, could manage to escape with critical injuries.

The incident triggered tension in parts of the area, with security forces maintaining a strong presence to restore normalcy.

Locals also protested outside a police outpost and blocked a key highway on Tuesday, demanding justice for the victim and the arrest of those responsible. Nineteen persons have so far been arrested in the case. 

A large number of agitated public gheraowed Karigaon Police Outpost demanding to handover the attackers to them.

 The irate public burnt down a house where some of the suspected Adivasi criminals often gather. The angry mob also burnt some houses in Karigaon, and the camp of Adivasi Cobra Militant of Assam (ACMA) and the Birsa Commando Force (BCF) was also damaged and burnt. 

Sources informed that people also burnt down some houses belonging to Bodos this evening. The police team resorted to firing ten rounds of blank fire in the air to control the situation in Karigaon.

Internet services have been suspended in Kokrajhar and neighbouring areas.