A person was killed and four 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, where one person, Sikhna Jwhwlao Bismit, alias Raja, died of his injuries.
Four others - Prabhat Brahma, Jubiraj Brahma, Sunil Murmu, and Mahesh Murmu - sustained serious injuries and were undergoing treatment at the Kokrajhar Medical College and Hospital.
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.
