Mob lynches Guwahati youths on suspicion of being child lifters
Guwahati, June 9 : In a shocking incident, two youths from Guwahati were beaten to death by an agitated mob at a remote location in Karbi Anglong district on suspicion of being child lifters.
The incident took place on Friday night in the backdrop of a rumour on social media that a group of 'sopadhara' (meaning child abductor or lifter in Assamese) were on the prowl in Nagaland's Dimapur town and some of its adjoining areas in the district.
Karbi Anglong shares a border with Nagaland on the east.
The victims, identified as Nilotpal Das and Abhijeet Nath, had gone to the remote Kathilangso waterfalls in the district's Dokmoka area, the police said.
They were returning to Guwahati late Friday in their SUV when they were stopped by a mob who suspected them to be child lifters.
The mob then pulled the victims out of their vehicle, tied them up and started beating them in spite of the boys repeatedly saying that they were Assamese and had come to Karbi Anglong only to witness the scenic beauty of the place, the police said.
But the mob refused to believe the victims and beat them to death. They destroyed the vehicle also.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has condoled the victims' families and condemned the brutal incident and rushed the Additional Director General of Assam Police (Law and Order) Mukesh Agarwala to Dokmoka.
"It is condemnable that people are being killed after being influenced by rumours and superstition," the Chief Minister said.
Sonowal has also ordered a high level probe into the incident and the circumstances that led to the brutality.
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Why can't Centre say it will consider genuine grievances of farmers? SC asks
New Delhi, Jan 2: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre why couldn't it say its doors were open and it would consider the genuine grievances of farmers protesting over various demands, including the legal guarantee of minimum support price for crops.
Further, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan asked the Centre to respond to the fresh plea filed on behalf of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal seeking direction to the Union government for implementation of the proposal, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops, made to the protesting farmers in 2021, after the farm laws were repealed.
"Why can't your client make a statement that it will consider the genuine demands and we are open to discuss the grievances of farmers, our doors are open? Why can't the Central government make a statement?" the bench asked solicitor general Tushar Mehta.
"Perhaps the court is not aware of various factors weighing in," he said, "therefore, right now we are confining ourselves to the issue of health of one individual. The Central government is concerned with each and every farmer."
Petitioner in-person Guninder Kaur Gill, who filed the fresh plea on behalf of Dallewal, was asked not to adopt a confrontational approach as the court had constituted a high-powered committee headed by retired high court judge to deal with various such issues.
"You are asking for compliance of the proposal. How can we direct the compliance of the proposal? You have to bring something more on record. We are issuing notice on this. But think of something. Let us not go with the confrontation… Please don't think of confrontation," said the bench.
Gill said the issue was resolved in 2021, when a proposal for the guarantee was adopted.
"The matter was already resolved into a guarantee. Last two-three lines of the proposal make it amply clear that it was a guarantee on the part of the Central government… It was a commitment and a promise on the basis of which the farmers withdrew their andolan (agitation). Now, they (Centre) cannot go back," she said.
Committee after committee were being constituted to resolve the same issues, added Gill.
The court said it had "full faith" in the committee, headed by a former judge who, in a way, had roots in the agriculture sector from both Punjab and Haryana.
"We have included experts from Punjab and Haryana, who are agriculturist, economist and professors. They are all learned, neutral fellows and their names came from both sides. Now that the committee is there, why are you not moving through a platform? We cannot directly have dialogue with the farmers. Probably, the central government, whatever may be the good or bad reasons, it is for them to take a decision," said Justice Surya Kant.
The bench directed a copy of the petition to be served upon the member secretary of the high-powered committee, which is likely to hold talks with the protesting farmers and other stakeholders on January 3.
It asked the Centre and the committee to file their responses to the fresh petition filed on behalf of Dallewal within 10 days.
Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to press the Centre to accept the farmers' various demands.
The farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, 2024, after their march to Delhi was stopped by the security forces.
