Mob assaults man in Tarapur accusing him of ‘Love Jihad’ hurling communal slurs; SP assures action

It has been more than 48 hours since the video featuring a mob attack on a man surfaced in Silchar. The video captures a group of locals in Tarapur assaulting a man. Some of them were trying to tie him with a rope while others continued to attack him with slaps and punches. The audio on the background stays as a testament to the fact that they were not just assaulting the man, but also hurling communal slurs targeting the particular community he belongs to.

In the video itself, it is heard that the attackers ask him to say his full name on camera and the moment he says so, they start beating him. The assailants also accused him of ‘Love Jihad’ while throwing punches at him.

The man attached has been identified as Jabir Hussain Chowdhury, a resident of Borkhola’s Salchapra. He was rushed to the Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) in what his family describes as an unconscious situation. The family has described him as a vegetable vendor, who was going from Chirukandi to Fatak Bazar.

Father of Jabir Hussain, Mayajul Ali Chowdhury, has lodged an FIR accusing Pintu Seal of Tarapur and Roma of Tarapur among other unknown individuals. In the FIR, the father mentions that after crossing the rail gate Jabir was dragged down but the man sitting on the front seat, following which the entire mob assault began.

The locals in Salchapra Part II have held a meeting to discuss the matter in detail. “We appeal to the honourable chief minister of Assam to intervene. The way he was assaulted and his swollen-up face was filmed and circulated is an inhuman torture to humankind. Also, the communal slurs targeting our particular community are loud and clear. We are hopeful that justice will be served,” said one of the members of the meeting at Salchapra Part II.

Cachar SP Numal Mahatta has taken cognizance of the matter. Giving importance to the sensitivity of the content in the video, he is monitoring the case. “We have detained two individuals and they are being interrogated. Action will be taken as per law,” says SP, Numal Mahatta.