Mentally ill Muslim man brutally beaten to death over suspicion of cow theft in Assam
Hoja, Assam: A heart-wrenching incident of lynching has come to light in Assam's Hojai district, where a mentally ill man, Hifzur Rahman, lost his life due to a brutal assault by a vigilante group. The incident occurred on August 12 in the village of Bamungaon, located in the Lanka area of Hojai district.
Rahman, a 23-year-old with a history of mental health issues, was accused of cow theft by residents of the Hindu-dominated Bamungaon village. According to local sources, there had been previous cases of cow theft in the area, prompting villagers to keep a watchful eye. On the ill-fated day, Rahman had entered the village, and suspicions were raised against him.
In a shocking display of mob violence, the vigilante group confronted Rahman and subjected him to a merciless beating. Despite his mental health condition, Rahman was brutally attacked based on mere suspicion. The group later informed the police about the incident.
Upon receiving the information, the local police rushed to the scene and discovered a gravely injured Rahman. He was immediately transported to a nearby hospital, where he was tragically declared dead. The incident has raised questions about the escalation of violence and the disregard for a person's mental health condition in the face of suspicion.
Rahman's family vehemently denied the allegations of cow theft, emphasizing his mental instability. Imrul Hoque, Rahman's brother, shared that his sibling would often seek assistance from people and shops but had never been involved in any theft. Imrul expressed his disbelief that sensible individuals could resort to violence against a person with mental health challenges.
Local authorities responded to the tragic incident, arresting six individuals — Sanjoy Das, Nikhil Das, Tulendra Das, Uttam Chakrabarty, Jayanta Chakrabarty and Sanandhu Majumdar – in connection with Rahman's lynching. The arrested individuals face charges under IPC 302, and further investigation is underway. The police have also indicated that another person is expected to be arrested in connection with the crime.
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Private bus operators in Karnataka to hike fares by 20-30 pc after fuel price rise
Bengaluru (PTI): In the wake of the hike in fuel prices, private bus operators have decided to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, effective from Friday midnight.
They have also called for government subsidies, a reduction in cess, and lower road taxes to improve the situation.
"The situation for bus owners in the state is already distressing due to high road tax and the impact of the Shakti scheme (free bus travel for women in government buses). On top of this, fuel prices have increased," Karnataka State Bus Owners’ Association President S Nataraj Sharma said.
"This will impose a burden of Rs 15,000 per vehicle per month on bus owners. If an owner has three buses, the burden will be Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000 per month," he added.
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Speaking to reporters, he said the situation has made it inevitable for owners to increase fares by 20-30 per cent, depending on the route, under current conditions.
The increase may be roughly Rs 200 per seat, he added.
"For example, the current bus fare from Bengaluru to Belagavi is around Rs 1,000–Rs 1,200, which is likely to rise to Rs 1,350–Rs 1,400. Similarly, fares from Bengaluru to Mangaluru or Udupi currently range from Rs 900–Rs 1,000 and are expected to go up to Rs 1,100–Rs 1,200," he said.
Petrol and diesel prices were each hiked by Rs 3 per litre on Friday, the first rate increase in more than four years, amid mounting losses for fuel retailers due to surging global crude prices in the wake of the West Asia conflict.
The increase comes a couple of weeks after the Assembly elections concluded in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry.
