In Assam, mob thrashes unmarried couple for 'travelling on motorcycle together'

In a case of moral policing, a mob waylaid an unmarried couple going on a motorcycle and assaulted them for travelling together, police said today.

The incident went viral on social media following which two persons have been arrested.

The mob waylaid the couple in their 20s and assaulted them at Pukhurpur village in Rongjuli area on June 19.

The brother of the man, who was attacked, has claimed that villagers later held a meeting and forced the two to get married.

Assam Director General of Police Kuladhar Saikia said that as no case was filed, the police registered a suo motu case and investigations were on.

While one person was arrested yesterday, another person was picked up this morning, police said.

They were booked under various IPC sections including 342 (wrongful confinement), 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) and 354b (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe).

Mob mentality seems to be something the Assam government needs to take notice of.  A fortnight ago, two youth were lynched by a mob in the state on suspicion of being child snatchers. In a video of the incident circulated on social media, the duo can be seen pleading for their lives and trying to explain to the livid crowd that they were Assamese but to no avail. As the police reached the spot, the seriously injured duo was rushed to a hospital but died on the way. The police have launched a massive search operation to nab the culprits on the basis of the video. No arrests have been made so far, they said.