One more person was arrested on Sunday, 17 June, 2018, in connection with the lynching of two youths in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district last week, taking the total number of arrests to 31 in the case. An Assam Police spokesperson said one person, identified as Okon Daimary, was arrested during the day for his alleged involvement in the June 8 lynching.
Besides the arrest of 31 persons in the lynching case, the police have taken into custody 35 on the charge of posting hate messages and rumours on social media in the last six days.
On June 8, two friends Nilotpal Das and Abhijeet Nath had gone to Kangthilangso waterfall in Karbi Anglong district. While returning, their vehicle was stopped at Panjuri Kachari by villagers, who pulled them out of the car and beat them for hours before killing them suspecting them as child-lifters. The brutal killing was recorded by locals on their mobile phones and circulated on social media.
Peace marches and candlelight prayers were organised at many places across the State on Sunday.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has announced to conduct the trial of the lynching in a fast track court. The main accused Alfajoz Timung, who was out on bail in an old murder case and was arrested for the lynching, had allegedly asked the villagers over the phone to stop the vehicle of the two claiming they were child-lifters.
“On Friday (8 June) evening, Alfajoz sent a message to some of the locals that the two youth had abducted a girl and asked them to intercept the vehicle they were traveling in,” a police spokesperson said. “The message from Alfajoz infuriated the mob and they not only intercepted the vehicle but also beat the two to death even after discovering that there was no one else in their SUV.”