The Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has directed the District Magistrate of southern Assam’s Karimganj district to probe the mob lynching of three Bangladeshi nationals on July 18.
In an order on August 25, AHRC Member N.K. Deka sought a magisterial inquiry into the circumstances that led to the death of the three persons who had allegedly intruded Bogrijan village near the Bangladesh border to steal cattle.
Also Read | Rule of mob: On mob lynching in several States
The district authority has been given a month’s time to submit a report to the AHRC.
Student’s complaint
The directive was based on a complaint filed by Baglekar Akash Kumar, a student of Hyderabad’s Osmania University. He had cited The Hindu’s report on the incident in his complaint, pointing out that people taking law into their own hands was unjustified and against the well-established tenets of law.
The police in Karimganj district had on July 19 said the three Bangladeshi nationals were lynched by the local people after crossing the border apparently to steal cows. Items recovered from them included Bangladesh-made biscuits and bread, rope, bag, wires and fence-cutters.
Second incident
The lynching was the second such incident in Karimganj district in less than two months.
On June 1, a 43-year-old Bangladeshi national was lynched in the Putni Tea Estate situated about 3 km from the Bangladesh border. The man was identified as Ranjit Munda and police quoted locals as saying he had come with five others — three Bangladeshis and two Indians — to steal cows from cattle farmers in the estate.
Verification of the man’s identity revealed he was from the Sonaroopa Tea Estate on the other side of the fence. The body was later handed over to the Border Guards Bangladesh.
