DIGBOI — A young man was allegedly killed by his neighbour who repeatedly drove a truck over him following a minor argument in Assam's Tinsukia district on Monday evening, triggering protests and road blockades in the Powai area.
The victim, Akash Tiwari, a resident of Powai Centre in Digboi, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have identified the accused as Akash Singh, who allegedly used a truck bearing registration number AS01SC1951 to carry out the attack.
According to eyewitness accounts, the two men — both aged between 25 and 27 and living in the same locality — were involved in a brief verbal altercation earlier that evening.
The dispute appeared to have ended when Singh walked away from the scene. But witnesses say he returned shortly after — this time, behind the wheel of a truck.
Singh allegedly drove the vehicle into Tiwari at high speed, knocking him to the ground. He is then said to have reversed and driven over the victim multiple times, killing him on the spot.
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News of the killing spread quickly through the area, drawing an outpouring of anger from residents.
Locals blocked the Margherita–Digboi road for several hours, disrupting traffic and demanding capital punishment for the accused. Protesters maintained that the repeated ramming left no doubt about intent — that it was a deliberate act to kill.
Security personnel from Digboi and neighbouring Margherita were deployed to the site to bring the situation under control and restore order.
Following the incident, Singh surrendered at the Margherita police station the same night and was subsequently taken into custody by Digboi police.
Authorities confirmed that an investigation is underway to establish the full sequence of events.
Family members of Akash Tiwari, still in shock, have demanded strict legal action against the accused.
The case has renewed concerns about incidents of lethal violence escalating from what begin as minor neighbourhood disputes — a pattern that continues to alarm communities across the region.