Guwahati: One person was killed and four others were seriously injured after a mob attacked them on suspicion of cattle theft in Assam’s Kokrajhar district, police said on Tuesday.
The victims, who were associated with a road construction project, were returning on Monday night after inspecting a work site in the Aoudang area when the incident occurred.
Police said that as their vehicle reached the Gouri Nagar–Mashing road stretch, a group of local villagers attempted to stop it, allegedly suspecting the occupants to be cattle lifters. This led to an accident in which the vehicle skidded off the road.
The mob then attacked the occupants and set the vehicle on fire, leaving them with severe burn injuries, police said.
All five were rushed to hospital, where one of them, identified as Sikhna Jwhwlao Bismit alias Raja, succumbed to his injuries. He was the son-in-law of contractor Moranda Basumatary, who is linked to the ongoing road construction project in the area.
The injured — Prabhat Brahma, Jubiraj Brahma, Sunil Murmu and Mahesh Murmu — are undergoing treatment at Kokrajhar Medical College and Hospital. Doctors said the condition of Prabhat Brahma was critical.
Personnel from the police and fire and emergency services rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. However, tension continues to prevail in parts of the district.
A few people have been detained for questioning and investigations into the incident are underway, an official said.