Kokrajhar violence: 1 killed, 4 injured in mob attack in Assam; highway blocked, vehicle set on fire

KOKRAJHAR: One person was killed and four others critically injured after a mob attacked a group of men on suspicion of cattle theft in Assam’s Kokrajhar district, police said on Tuesday. The victims, who were linked to an ongoing road construction project, were returning late Monday night after inspecting a work site in the Aoudang area. While travelling along the Gouri Nagar–Mashing Road, local villagers allegedly tried to stop their vehicle, suspecting them to be cattle lifters. During the confrontation, the vehicle met with an accident and skidded off the road. The occupants were then attacked by the mob, which also set the vehicle on fire, leaving them with severe burn injuries, police said. All five were rushed to hospital, where one of them — identified as Sikhna Jwhwlao Bismit alias Raja — succumbed to his injuries. He was the son-in-law of contractor Moranda Basumatary, associated with the road construction project. The other four — Prabhat Brahma, Jubiraj Brahma, Sunil Murmu and Mahesh Murmu — sustained serious injuries and are undergoing treatment at Kokrajhar Medical College and Hospital. Doctors said the condition of Prabhat Brahma remains critical. Police along with fire and emergency services personnel reached the spot and brought the situation under control. However, tension continues to prevail in and around Kokrajhar.Hundreds of people blocked the NH at Karigaon, burning tyres and demanding immediate arrest of the accused. A few people have been detained for questioning, and an investigation into the incident is underway, officials said to news agency PTI.