Policeman killed by violent Assam mob

In a bizarre incident, a mob on Wednesday night lynched a police personnel to death while four civilians were critically injured in a clash that broke out following a rumour of police arresting some villagers on suspicion of being Bangladesh citizens at Biswanth police district on Thursday.

The police said that the victim, Dwipen Hazarika, was seriously injured during the mob attack on the police team and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. “A police team, including six armed personnel went to the Beltoli Nirola Basti, a village dominated by religious minority people, based on information that a thief, against whom there are cases pending, has been taking shelter in the area,” said the superintendent of police Manbendra Rai while adding that the police team cordoned off the entire area and arrested the thief.

However, the people of the area gathered and attacked the police team with stones while resisting the arrest of thieves. “The incident took place around 2.00 am and the police team had resorted to firing to disperse the crowd leading to injury of the four persons,” Rai pointed out. The police arrested seven people for their involvement in the attack. How-ever, eyewitness said that when the police team came to arrest the thief, some people started spreading rumours that the police had come to arrest suspected Bangladeshi migrants.