Rumours of child lifters continue to grip people of Udalguri

From a Correspondent
TANGLA, June 11: There have been reports of alleged attack on innocent persons under the suspicion of being xophadhora (child lifter) and pisola bhoot (demons) in various parts of the State, especially in the lower Assam districts. Udalguri district reported yet another attack on a local trader on the evening of Friday. The villagers accused a local businessman to be a child lifter and allegedly attacked him, leaving him in a critical state and setting ablaze his brand new Scorpio vehicle. The youth, who suffered multiple injuries, was first admitted to Udalguri Civil Hospital and later shifted to Guwahati. Reportedly, on Friday at about 4 pm, Dipankar Deuri (35), a local resident of Mission Road, Udalguri and a businessman by profession, was driving his brand new Mahindra Scorpio vehicle from Golma Chowk to Kapurpura,Khowring, when suddenly a mob chased his vehicle and surrounded him near Brahma and Sons Petrol Depot at Mission Corner in the heart of the district town. They then attacked him. Efforts of some conscious people, who were eye-witness to the incident, to rescue the youth also failed following which they informed police. Police reached the spot and rescued him. The unruly mob then pushed his vehicle to a nearby paddy field and set it ablaze in front of police and paramilitary troops. Deuri had bought the car with his father’s pension money. The injured youth while being taken out from Udalguri Civil Hospital to Guwahati for better treatment, was resisted by some youths. Police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse them. The Udalguri District Students’ Union has condemned the attack on the local youth. Meanwhile, Udalguri police has lodged an FIR stating an attack on the innocent youth by rumour-gripped mob in the me of child lifter and setting ablaze his car. Investigation is on. Following the incident, paramilitary troops have been deployed across the district town. The district administration following the incident has clamped Section 144 CrPc across the district, stated Dimple Baruah, Assistant Commissioner, Udalguri. Rakesh Roshan, Superintendent of Police of Udalguri, has also appealed the people not to fall prey to rumours and take law in their hands.