Mob beats youth to death near Assam tea garden

Guwahati/UNI: In an incident of mob violence, a youth was allegedly killed and his friend seriously injured when a group of people beat them up following a minor accident and altercation near a tea garden in Mariani in Jorhat district of Assam.

The incident happened on Friday evening, when the two boys along with a few of their friends were returning after visiting a nearby tourist site.

Contradictory versions of how the tension between the boys and the local tea garden workers started have emerged, with the surviving youth claiming that their scooter had met with an accident at the spot and two women workers of the tea garden were injured slightly.

These led the other workers of the tea garden to gherao the two boys and beat them up, leading to death of Debasish Gogoi and leaving Aditya Das injured. However, the tea garden workers have claimed that the group of boys, numbering about 7-8, wanted to visit another tourist spot in the area, which can be reached through the tea garden. When the gateman refused them entry due to lockdown norms, the group allegedly started beating a local boy. The other workers reached the spot on hearing the commotion and started beating the two boys as the others reportedly escaped.

Debasishs father and sister rushed to the spot on being informed of the incident, but the mob allegedly did not allow them to get down from the car and only dispersed after the two boys were severely beaten up.

Both the boys were taken to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital, where Debasish was declared dead and Aditya was treated for his injuries.

Police have launched investigation into the matter and four persons have reportedly been apprehended so far.