Security forces in Assam’s Dima Hasao district have saved three sadhus from getting lynched on suspicion of their being child lifters. In a similar incident on June 8, two friends, who had gone to a picnic spot in Karbi Anglong, were waylaid on their return by a group of villagers who lynched the two youths on the suspicion of being child lifters.
The Assam Police on Friday said the incident took place at Mahur in Dima Hasao district on Thursday when local spotted three sadhus in saffron dress and suspected them to be child lifters. The sadhus were mobbed and attacked in no time, however soon the Army came to rescue.
“As the situation was getting out of control and the crowd swelled, some people informed the unit of Army stationed nearby. The Army jawans reached on time and rescued the three sadhus. All the three were from UP and were on a pilgrimage here.
Travelling in a car, the three had visited the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati during the recent Ambubachi festival last month and after that they spent a few nights at Kaziranga national park also,” said a senior police official in Dima Hasao district headquarters, Haflong.
“The trio were planning to go to Tripura to visit the Tripura Sundari temple. However, the locals on Thursday found the three moving around the railway station and attacked them after dragging them out of the car,” said the official.
“The three were identified as Shiv Bhan from Gautam Budh Nagar, NCR, Amar Giri from Allahabad and Mahant Sunipuri from Patan. The Army took them to the camp initially and later handed them over to us,” police said.
Police further said some locals have also attacked another three strangers in Haflong but were rescued due to timely intervention of police.
It may be mentioned here that rumours of child lifters have been doing the rounds in some districts of Assam.
In the June 8 lynching case, the Assam Police has arrested over 30 people till now for their involvement in the lynching of the two youths and arrested over 20 others for spreading hate messages and rumours about child lifters on social media.