Digboi: An irate mob allegedly torched a commercial four-wheeler (AS06 BC 9422) on Thursday morning in the Panbari area under Digboi police station, located in Assam’s Tinsukia district, after rescuing stolen cattle found loaded in the mini truck.
The area, long plagued by frequent incidents of cattle theft, witnessed heightened anger from the agrarian residents of Panbari.
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Upon catching the theft in progress, the mob reportedly apprehended and chastised the alleged kingpin, Tulon Changmai of Panbari village, before setting the vehicle ablaze.
While Digboi police later rescued Changmai from the scene, the other accomplices allegedly involved in the crime managed to flee.
Notably, one member of a four-person gang arrested in a cattle theft case in May 2025 at Masey Gaon in Margherita also hailed from Panbari village.
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The angry villagers claimed they set fire to the vehicle because it was directly used to transport the stolen cattle.
Residents of several villages under the Digboi police jurisdiction have reportedly been losing sleep over the steep rise in cattle theft, which has severely impacted their livelihoods. The theft of bulls during peak ploughing season has not only deprived families of dairy products but also dealt a significant blow to agricultural operations.
In a similar incident in October 2024, an agitated mob in Mayong, Morigaon district, torched a vehicle suspected of involvement in cattle theft and reportedly assaulted the driver.
It is worth recalling that Debabrata Saikia, Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, had raised serious concerns about cattle smuggling and syndicate activity in Upper Assam during a statement in December 2024. He specifically pointed to rising public protests in Sivasagar district over alleged police inaction.
The recurring thefts across districts point to a growing trend of cattle stealing, often linked to illegal slaughterhouses or cross-border smuggling networks.
Addressing this rising wave of cattle thefts requires strict enforcement of existing laws.
Authorities must rigorously implement the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, which authorizes police to seize cattle and vehicles used without permits as a preventive measure.
Assam shares a porous border with Bangladesh, and cattle smuggling has remained a persistent issue. In 2022 alone, authorities seized around 13,000 cattle and made approximately 1,300 related arrests.
Smuggling syndicates often operate by stealing cattle from Assam’s interiors and transporting them across state and national borders.
This modus operandi has fueled thefts across eastern Assam, frequently involving local youths and, in some cases, alleged collusion with systemic machinery motivated by the lure of quick, illegal profits.