Will seek fast track trial of Assam lynching case: Sarbananda Sonowal

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has assured the parents of the two men lynched in Karbi Anglong that he would request the chief justice of the Gauhati high court to fast track the trial, an official release said here today.

Nilotpal Das (29) and Abhijeet Nath (30) were on June 8 pulled out of their vehicle at Panjuri in Karbi Anglong district and beaten to death by a group of irate villagers, who suspected them to be child-lifters.

The victims' fathers, Ajit Kumar Nath and Gopal Chandra Das, called on the chief minister yesterday evening and submitted a petition demanding maximum punishment for the culprits.

They also demanded constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) for expeditious investigation in the case, the release said.

The chief minister told them that the SIT had already been constituted under a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and acting swiftly, the Assam police had nabbed all the accused within a short period of time, it said.

A total of 64 people, including the prime accused, have been arrested in connection with the case.

Sonowal assured the victims' parents that he had directed the police to consult an expert criminal lawyer to prepare the charge sheet to ensure that no loopholes remain for the accused to escape.

The chief minister is personally monitoring the progress of the case as the crime has tarnished Assam's image, the release said.

Niloptal, a sound engineer, and Abhijeet, a businessman, were returning from a picnic spot near the Kangthilangso waterfalls when they were lynched by a mob following rumours on the social media.