Guwahati, June 18 (PTI): Five more persons were arrested today in connection with the lynching of the two men at Dokmoka in Assam's Karbi Anglong district, taking the total arrest so far in the brutal killing to 36.
Altogether 71 persons have been arrested from different parts of Assam, with 36 for killing the men and 35 for spreading rumours and hate messages in social media, an Assam police spokesman said.
The five arrested today were--Raikom Timung, Mensing Kro, Roben Mech, Bikram Hanse and Protap Kro.
The two friends, Nilotpal Das and Abhijeet Nath, had gone to the picnic spot Kangthilangso under Dokmoka police station in Karbi Anglong on June 8 last and while returning, their vehicle was stopped at Panjuri by a group of irate villagers who pulled them out, started beating them on the suspicion of being childifters and lynched them to death.
A video circulated on social media had shown Das pleading that he was an Assamese but it had no impact on the killers.
The killings evoked widespread protests and demand for exemplary punishment for the guilty.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had announced that the cases will be tried in fast track courts.
