An Assam court convicts 12 persons in connection with a 7-year-old mob lynching case

The Diphu district court on Monday had convicted 12 persons and acquitted four others including two police personnel in the Jhankar Saikia mob lynching case.

The quantum punishments would be pronounced on Feb 28.

On June 25, 2013, the a mob had thrashed 16-year-old Jhankar Saikia and his lawyer father Haren Saikia at Diphu town in Karbi Anglong district after they refused to pay Rs 30 to an auto rickshaw instead of regular fare of Rs 20.

The entire incident was happened in presence of police personnel and the young boy was beaten up by a group of auto rickshaw driver and some locals.

Jhankar was critically injured and he was shifted to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on July 1, 2013.

Following the incident, police had registered a case (no 95/13) under Sections 294, 325, 307, 109, 147, 148, 149, 337, 338, 302 and 34 of IPC at Diphu police station and arrested many people in connection with the incident.

The trial of the case began in March 2018 and the court on Monday convicted 12 persons.

Public Prosecutor Durga Prasad Jaiswal said the court convicted 12 persons and acquitted four others.

“The court will announce the punishments on February 28,” Durga Prasad Jaiswal said.

On the other hand, Jhankar’s lawyer father Haren Saikia said that, he is happy with the court verdict.

“After 7 years, finally we get the justice. The court has convicted 12 persons who brutally killed my son,” Haren Saikia said. 

(By Hemanta Kumar Nath, Guwahati)