Clarion India

NEW DELHI — Three people, suspected to be from Bangladesh, were lynched by a mob on the suspicion of cattle-lifting in Assam’s Karimganj on the midnight of July 18. Four other alleged intruders made good their escape.

This is the second incident of lynching of Bangladeshi nationals in the Karimganj district in less than a month, say media reports reaching from Guwahati, the capital of Assam.

“Three unknown suspected Bangladeshi nationals were killed last night by some unknown miscreants at Bogrijan tea estate under Patharkandi police station,” Kumar Sanjit  Krishna, Karimganj superintendent of police, said in a written statement.

The police have made no arrests so far but claimed that the victims had crossed the border for stealing cows from the Bogrijan area which falls under the Patharkandi police station near the 134 Battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF).

The area is close to the border with Bangladesh and about 1.5 km from the nearest police outpost. The mob allegedly consisted of labourers from the local tea garden in Bogrijan.

“On inquiry, it was revealed that the said Bangladeshi nationals crossed the border with a motive to steal cows from the Bogrijan area. They were lynched by people yet to be identified,” Krishna, Karimganj SP, said.

The bodies were recovered along with some biscuits, pieces of bread, a rope, a bag, wires and fence-cutters. The police will hand over the bodies to the Bangladesh authorities via the BSF.

Last month, Ranjit Munda from Bangladesh was lynched in Putni Estate, 3km from India-Bangladesh border. The locals claimed that Munda had come to steal cows along with two Bangladeshi nationals and two Indians. His body was later handed over to the Border Guards of Bangladesh.