Eight years after the Karbi Anglong mob killing, the court sentences convicts, families express dissatisfaction, and may appeal
Guwahati: Bringing closure to one of Assam’s most disturbing Abhi-Neel mob lynching cases, the Nagaon Session Court on April 24 sentenced 20 convicts to life imprisonment in the 2018 killing of Abhijit Nath and Nilotpal Das.
Delivering the verdict, Session Judge Dibyajyoti Mahanta Mahanta also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on each convict after finding them guilty under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code. The judgment follows an earlier conviction of 20 individuals, while 25 others were acquitted due to lack of evidence and three were treated as juveniles.
The case dates back to June 8, 2018, when the two victims were attacked by a mob in Dokmoka, Karbi Anglong, after being falsely suspected of child abduction. The incident, widely circulated through a viral video, sparked nationwide outrage and drew attention to the dangers of misinformation and mob violence.
However, the victims’ family has expressed dissatisfaction with the quantum of punishment. Their counsel, Ziaurul Kumar, said the family had sought the death penalty for the main accused. “They are not satisfied with the verdict and are likely to challenge it in the Gauhati High Court,” he stated.
Meanwhile, lawyers representing the convicts have also indicated plans to appeal.
The verdict comes after an eight-year-long trial, marking a significant moment in a case that continues to resonate in public memory.
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