Locals killed 3 alleged cattle smugglers from across the border in Karimganj district more than a year ago
The Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has said that letting cases of lynching, even of criminals, go unpunished would send the wrong signal.
It made this observation while issuing an order to the Superintendent of Police of Karimganj district to submit the present status of the investigation into the lynching of three Bangladeshi nationals around midnight on July 18, 2020.
The AHRC had taken up the case on the basis of a complaint lodged by Baglekar Akash Kumar, a law student of Hyderabad’s Osmania University two days after the incident.
On September 22, the AHRC asked the district police chief to submit by October 25 – the day the order was issued – to submit the status of the investigation report. The report was not received.
Fresh deadline
Setting November 29 as a fresh deadline, the AHRC said: “We appreciate the difficulties faced by the police in identifying or arresting the culprits involved in such lynching cases. But then, the difficulties in the investigation cannot be a ground for abandoning the investigation or half-heartedly investigating the case inasmuch as such attitude, if adopted by the police, will never instil fear in the minds of the people.”
It further said: “Lynching in any form must not be permitted in an ordinary society like us as otherwise, the very existence of the rule of law will be in danger.”
In an action-taken report on July 21, 2020, a copy of which was sent to Mr. Kumar, the Karimganj Deputy Commissioner admitted that three Bangladeshi people were lynched by the people of Bhubrighat village. The district head also identified the purpose of the lynching but said the accused persons involved could not be identified.
SC verdict
Mr. Kumar cited a Supreme Court judgement of 1996 that said Article 21 of the Constitution dealing with life and liberty of a person applied equally to “foreigners”.
The Karimganj police had after the incident said rope, bag, wires and fence-cutting tools were recovered from the three lynched people established as Bangladeshis.
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