Assam: Students’ union leader beaten to death, 13 held
A mob attacked Animesh Bhuyan, 28, a student leader, and two others after suspecting them of hitting an elderly man riding a scooter with their vehicle. A video of the incident went viral
Thirteen people were arrested in Assam’s Jorhat district for allegedly beating All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) leader, Animesh Bhuyan, 28, to death on Monday, police said on Tuesday.
A mob attacked the student leader and two others after suspecting them of hitting an elderly man riding a scooter with their vehicle.
“We have arrested 13 persons in connection with the incident including the main culprit Neeraj Das, a person with criminal antecedents,” Ankur Jain, Jorhat police superintendent said.
Mridusmanta Baruah, a journalist who accompanied Bhuyan, said they had just parked their vehicle at the spot when the elderly man fell down. “When we tried to lift him, he started shouting that our car had hit his scooter,” Baurah explained.
Bhuyan, the education secretary of AASU’s Brahmaputra regional committee and Baruah were accompanied by Pranay Dutta, also an AASU member.
Citing a preliminary investigation, Jain said the scooter rider fell on his own and received some head injuries. When the three, who had just reached the spot in their car, tried to help him, he shouted that they hit him, Jain added.
Jain said police also came under attack and it took some time to reach the spot as the place was blocked and there was a traffic jam. “Our team also came under attack,” said Jain, adding that police first rescued the two other victims before finally rescuing Bhuyan.
“A mob gathered at the spot and attacked the three without trying to verify what exactly happened,” said Jain and added that the incident happened during the day but no one intervened.
A video of the incident, which went viral, showed a group of people purportedly attacking the three. They were rescued by police and taken to a hospital where Bhuyan was declared brought dead.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma directed the police to file a charge sheet within 30 days. The state government also announced financial assistance of ₹5 lakh for Bhuyan’s family.
Deputy commissioner Ashok Kumar Barman said a magisterial inquiry was ordered and a report would be submitted within 10 days.
AASU blamed the police for failing to prevent the alleged attack and called for a protest rally in Jorhat on Tuesday.
