Main instigator in Assam lynching case arrested
GUWAHATI: Police in Assam have arrested a 30-year-old man alleged to be the prime accused in the lynching of two men, who were killed last week on suspicion of being “child-lifters” in Karbi Anglong district, a senior official said on Wednesday.
“He is the prime instigator of the incident. He is the one who made that phone call to the villagers spreading the rumour of the presence of two child-lifters,” director general of police (DGP) Kuladhar Saikia said.
Alphajoz Timung was apprehended on Tuesday night after being on the run for a few days since the lynching.
Later, addressing the press, Saikia said how Timung confronted Nilotpal Das, a Goabased sound engineer, and Guwahati-based businessman Abhijeet Das, who were on their way to a popular waterfall in Kangthilangso on June 8. He had an altercation with them accusing them of child-lifters. They reportedly denied, and left the place after which Timung made phone calls to villagers saying the duo were child-lifters.
They were lynched by around 250 locals in Panjari Kachari village.
“Timung was on the run on his motorbike within a geographical area of 20 square kilometres. We managed to track him down through the three cellphones he was carrying,” a senior police official said. Police have so far arrested 28 people for their alleged role in the killings, ADGP Mukesh Agarwal said. BERHAMPORE: An unidentified man suspected of being a childlifter was allegedly tied to an electric pole and beaten to death by a mob in Bengal’s Malda district on Wednesday.
Until afternoon, police had arrested three people for the crime on the basis of a video of the incident.
Police said that the victim was in his thirties, and appeared to be a homeless man.
According to sources, a mob confronted the victim at Bulbulchandi-dubapara village in Habibpur and asked him why he had come there.
When his response failed to satisfy them, they tied him to an electricity post and began beating him.
Upon receiving a tip-off, police rushed to the scene and took the injured man to the Malda Medical College and Hospital. However, he died soon afterwards.
“We have arrested three persons so far in connection with the lynching incident,” said Biswajit Mondal, inspector-in-charge of the Habibpur police station. Attempts to contact Malda superintendent of police Arnab Ghosh went in vain.
“I heard about the lynching, and it was ghastly to say the least. I am going there,” said local CPI(M) MLA Khagen Murmu.
Subhajit Jana, who is officiating for the Habibpur block development officer, said steps would be taken to prevent further incidents of the kind in the area. “We are planning to organise an awareness camp aimed at discouraging rumours of child-lifting from tomorrow. Local villagers and clubs will participate,” he said.