Shillong, Aug 18: Two persons from a Khasi village in Cachar district were critically injured after an armed mob of around 40 persons attacked a small group of Khasi villagers.
Six villagers went to their betel leaf plantation at Kalakhal Khasi Punji when the mob of around 40 people attacked them with sharp weapons and locally made firearms.
According a complaint lodged by Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) Barrack Valley unit, the mob comprising people from a particular community demanded the Khasi villagers to immediately vacate the place.
When refused, the mob attacked them causing critical injury to two villagers – Raju Kasar and Bikas Syngkor. They are currently under treatment in Silchar Medical College and Hospital.
An FIR was lodged by Sibil Suchiang, wife of Raju Kasar, at Kachudaram police station in this connection.
In its complaint, the KSU named 14 persons as among the group of attackers.
The incident, which took place on the Independence Day, caused simmering tension in the area and insecurity among the miniscule Khasi community in the region.
The KSU alleged that the mob warned of dire consequences, including burning the village and raping young girls, causing fears among the Khasi villagers even to send their children to schools.
“The situation is very tense in Kalakhal village as people are not able to move out of the village and school-going children especially our young girls stopped going to school as their life is under threat,” KSU president Walton Rymbai stated in the letter.
Accusing the attackers to be involved in various criminal activities, including theft, drug smuggling, and timber smuggling, the KSU demanded thorough investigation into their crimes.
