Were Abhijit Nath and Nilotpal Das Killed Only Because of a Fake Kidnapping Rumour?

Abhijit Nath and Nilotpal Das had visited the area on a normal visit in a Black SUV. The black SUV was forcibly stopped by the ruthless mob. According to the police, a rumour that child kidnappers were operating in the rural area of Karbi Anglong district of the north-eastern state of Assam, was circulating in Whatsapp and Facebook for days. The mob had witnessed the Black SUV coming and some of the villagers believed that the vehicle might be used to kidnap children. The innocent young men were mercilessly beaten to death by the savage mob. "The news spread just like that. The rumour was that some child abductors would come and take their child and they just thought that this car was being used to lift children”, said Assam police Director General Kuldhar Saikia.

The young victims were already dead by the time the Police arrived on Friday. To add to the terrifying incident, a graphic video which shows one of the victims pleading for his life went viral on social media. This is one of the most chilling incidents of recent times. One cannot fathom the extent of pain and trauma the two young men must have gone through and all because of a fake rumour. Unbelievable!

Did the attack have anything to do with cultural identities?

How did these ruthless men think of murdering two youngsters without even knowing for sure that there were child kidnappers? How did these men become so savage?  There are deep reasons for sure. It is known that some members of the Assamese community harbour grudges and contempt against “outsiders.” The state is demanding Inner Line Permit to regulate the entry of outsiders. Probably outsiders are seen as a threat to their culture, language, jobs, and identity.

The mob mistook them to be “Bihari child lifters” and guess that was enough to ignite hatred within them.   Even the victims at that painful moment probably understood that they were lynched due to their identity’. They pleaded “Don't kill me... please don't beat me. I am an Assamese. Believe me, I am speaking the truth. My father's name is Gopal Chandra Das and mother's name is Radhika Das... please let me go.” Das may have looked more like an outsider to the mob with his ‘Dreadlocks Hippie look.’

Who were Nilotpal Das and Abhijit Nath?

‘Hippie looking’ Nilotpal Das was a sound engineer based in Goa and he was a travel buff. Das was also an excellent musician who was aspiring to be a singer. When he completed his graduation, he travelled to Himachal Pradesh where he crossed path with Aditya Dixshit with whom he started a Decor company. “I can still see his music instruments lying on his bed…. Believe me, he never hurt even an insect in his life, how could they accuse him of being a child lifter? How could someone kill him so mercilessly?” he said. Das believed that Assam was the most beautiful place and he had plans to promote Assam’s tourism through his music. That’s the irony of it all.

Abhijit Nath was a self-made businessman and builder at a company called Atreya. He was an animal lover and he maintained a huge aquarium at his place in Guwahati’s Six Mile. As per reports, Nath had decided to visit Kanthe Langshu to look for exotic fish to add to his collection.

Ignorance, poverty, being illiterate, cultural differences or even believing a false rumour does not give you the license to kill. Two beautiful and talented souls were lost, who ironically were Assamese themselves and aimed to promote Assam state through music. So, guess whose loss was it?