Two Muslim men were allegedly lynched by a mob in Assam’s Sonitpur district after villagers suspected them of cattle theft. The incident took place in the Bhalukpung area near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border on Friday.
Police said a third person was also injured in the attack and is currently undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital.
Police Say Victims Were From Morigaon District
Sonitpur Senior Superintendent of Police Barun Purkayastha confirmed that the victims were from Assam’s Morigaon district, though their full identities are still being verified.
“The victims belong to a minority community from Morigaon district,” he said, adding that a murder case has been registered and an investigation is underway.
He also said no arrests have been made so far, and police are trying to identify those involved in the mob attack.
Allegation of Cattle Theft Triggered Attack
According to police, villagers intercepted the group after they allegedly tried to flee with three cows in a mini-truck.
“The trio had stolen the cows and were about to escape when they were intercepted by a group of villagers. They were severely beaten up by the mob,” SSP Purkayastha said.
He added that the cows and the vehicle used in the incident have been recovered.
Remote Area and Lack of Evidence Slow Investigation
Police said the attack took place in a remote forest area, making it difficult to gather immediate evidence such as CCTV footage.
“We have come to know that there were a large number of people involved in the attack… there is no material like CCTV footage that we can rely on to identify the perpetrators,” the officer said.
Authorities are currently questioning the injured survivor to reconstruct the sequence of events.
Assam Government’s “Zero Tolerance” Stand on Cattle Theft
The incident comes amid the Assam government’s continued crackdown on alleged cattle smuggling cases.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently said the state is maintaining “zero tolerance towards cattle smuggling,” adding that more than 850 alleged cattle thieves have been arrested since January.
He also said thousands of kilograms of seized beef have been recovered, and that authorities remain “extremely vigilant” ahead of Bakrid.
