Assam lynching: Chargesheet against 48 accused filed
On Saturday, Assam police filed a chargesheet against 48 accused in the lynching of businessman Abhijit Nath and musician Nilotpal Das. All the 48 named in the chargesheet are reportedly in judicial custody. Nath and Das were lynched on suspicion of being child lifters in June. Their deaths sparked a nationwide outrage and demand for justice grew louder every day. Here's more about this.
Complete document is 900-pages long, says DGP
Addressing the press in Guwahati, DGP Kuladhar Saikia said the chargesheet was filed at Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court in Diphu. He revealed the document was 900-pages long, and chargesheet was 46-pages long. "The most important point is Assam police has been successful in filing the chargesheet in a case of mob-lynching within the mandatory period," he added, praising the police force.
Chargesheet claims there are 71 prosecution witnesses
Nath and Das were lynched in Panjuri Kachari village in Karbi Anglong district. Two cases filed by their fathers in Dokmoka police station were later combined. The chargesheet claimed there are 71 prosecution witnesses. The accused were charged under IPC Sections 302 (murder), 341 (wrongful restraint), 427 (mischief), 143, 144, 147, 148, 149 (unlawful assembly), 109 (abetment), 332 (causing hurt to public servant), 186 (obstructing public servant).
Backstory: How rumors took two lives in Assam
Rumors about Das and Nath carrying a child in their vehicle allegedly originated from Kangthilangso village, which they visited a day before the incident. Alphajoz Timing is the prime accused in this case and he allegedly asked villagers to stop the duo's vehicle. After outrage over this incident, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had promised a fast-track court would hear the case.
