Titabor man beaten to death over alleged nuisance at home, four held

Police in Assam's Jorhat district have arrested four people after a 42-year-old man died from injuries he suffered when a group allegedly beat him at Titabor, The Times of India and Northeast Live reported on Sunday. Two more suspects are absconding.

What happened

The man has been identified as Dipen Hazarika (also spelt Deepen). According to police, some people objected to what they said was a nuisance he was creating at his own home, and the argument turned into a violent attack by several people. The incident took place late on Saturday night, a day before Diwali, according to Northeast Live.

Hazarika was taken to hospital but died of his injuries.

His sister told Northeast Live that he sometimes drank and would occasionally create trouble inside the house. Local reports have described the attack as an alleged case of moral policing.

Arrests and investigation

The four arrested men have been named by police as Pinku Das, Samudra Das, Madhab Das and Sourav Das. Two others believed to have taken part in the assault have not yet been caught.

A police officer quoted by The Times of India said efforts were on to arrest the remaining suspects and that investigators were working to establish exactly what led to the attack. The officer said strict legal action would be taken against everyone found to be involved.

Police have not yet said what charges have been filed or whether a post-mortem report has been received.

Why it matters

The case adds to concern in Assam over groups of people taking it upon themselves to punish someone for behaviour they object to, instead of calling the police. Even where a person is accused of drinking or creating a disturbance, the law leaves it to the police and courts to act. Assaults by groups can attract serious charges, including murder, for everyone who takes part.

NEInsider will update this story when police share details of the charges or arrest the two absconding suspects.