A youth was killed by a bootlegger in Karbi Anglong district by throwing him out of a running train in the morning on Wednesday.
The victim, identified as Sankha Raijung, was going to Lumding by the down Guwahati-Mariani Express.
According to information, a large number of passengers boarded the train from a railway station before reaching Lumding.
Among those passengers there was a bootlegger, Uma Paswan, who is a thug of Borlangpher.
While boarding the train, Paswan manhandled a senior citizen to which the youth, Raijung, objected and questioned him about his bad behaviour. As the train was moving towards Lumding, Paswan, who was standing on the doorway of the train, threw Raijung out of the running train.
Raijung immediately came under the wheels of the train and was killed. The entire face of Raijung was severed.
The other passengers, who witnessed the incident grabbed Paswan and belaboured him before being handed over to the police at the next station – Lumding.
This may be the first time that a bootlegger of hooch is found directly involved in the murder of a train passenger but it is usual for legitimate train passengers to be harassed on the particular stretch from Dhansiri to Lumding by bootleggers.
The bootleggers including women and men are seen running alongside the trains, particularly in the morning hours with jerry cans, drums of up to 20 litres on stations along the route. They use to rudely push aside passengers while boarding the trains.
“They also prefer to board the coaches right after the engine. They are also seen casually conversing with railway officials and TTEs as if they know each other for a longtime which may point to the involvement of NF Railway officials in bootlegging operations with larger ramifications,” claimed sources.
