Two people were beaten to death by a group of people on suspicion of cattle theft in a remote area of Sonitpur district on the Assam-Arunachal border. Another person was seriously injured in the incident in Bhalukpung area. The deceased have been identified as 20-year-old Arun Kumar and 18-year-old Arun Kumar. The deceased have been identified as 20-year-old Arun Kumar and 18-year-old Arun Kumar.
Senior Superintendent of Police Barun Purkayastha told reporters that the incident took place on May 22 around 3:30 pm when a group entered the village and tried to steal three cows. The deceased have been identified as 20-year-old Arun Kumar and 18-year-old Arun Kumar. The deceased have been identified as 20-year-old Arun Kumar and 18-year-old Arun Kumar. A third person injured in the attack is currently being treated for life, police said. Police seized three cows and the vehicle used in the crime. Police have registered two separate cases of cattle theft and mob lynching.
The SP said that a large number of villagers are suspected to be involved in the beating but no one has been arrested so far. As the village is located in a remote forest area, there are no CCTV cameras or any other digital surveillance system available. This has made it difficult for the police to identify the real criminals or assailants.
The incident took place a day before state Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma on Thursday said the government had adopted a zero tolerance policy against cattle smuggling. In a statement on social media, the chief minister said that since January this year, over 850 suspected cow thieves have been arrested in the state and over 2,980 kg of beef has been seized. He said that the administration has taken extra precautions in the state ahead of the upcoming Eid festival.
Some human rights activists and opposition representatives have expressed deep concern over the beatings. They complain that incidents related to cattle trade and transport often target people from certain minority communities. Critics also claim that some people take the law into their own hands in the name of cow protection and that the weak role of the police in such mobs allows the perpetrators to escape punishment.