A mob in north-eastern Assam’s Biswanath district killed a man and injured three others on suspicion that they were cattle thieves.
The victims were travelling in a three-wheeler to buy livestock from a weekly market when the mob attacked them at Diplunga Tea Estate early Wednesday morning. Police came to know about the lynching from a video uploaded on social media a day later.
The mob intercepted the vehicle and assaulted the four – Deben Rajbongshi, Phoolchand Sahu, Bijoy Nayak and Pujen Rajbongshi – with sticks, iron rods and machetes.
They were admitted to a hospital in Biswanath Chariali town, where Deben succumbed to his injuries.
The condition of the other three, all belonged to the Adivasi community, was said to be stable.
Reminiscent of the May lynching of an audio engineer and businessman in central Assam’s Karbi Along district, the video showed the four victims pleading to the mob with folded hands to spare their lives as the blows rained on them.
The four were heard on the video saying they were going to buy pigs.
But the police said they were travelling with two stolen cows.
“Five of them were transporting the stolen cows, but one managed to escape. We have registered a case involving about 150 assailants. We hope to catch them soon,” Manoj Baruah, officer-in-charge of Sootea police station said.
