Prime accused in Assam lynching case killed by police vehicle 'while fleeing'

Neeraj Das was arrested on Tuesday with 11 others after Animesh Bhuyan was killed by a mob

The prime accused in Monday's killing of a student leader in a mob attack in Jorhat was killed by a police escort vehicle while he was trying to flee early Wednesday, Assam Police said.

"The accused Neeraj Das was also involved in drug smuggling cases. During interrogation on Tuesday, he disclosed some consignment of drugs in Jorhat and we were taking him there in a vehicle. But after some time at around 1.30 am, he jumped off the vehicle ahead and tried to flee. The escort vehicle which was behind could not control and hit him. Three of our policemen also got injured as the vehicle lost control and hit a wall. The hospital said Neeraj was brought dead," said a police officer involved in the investigation of the case.

Das was arrested on Tuesday with 11 others after Animesh Bhuyan, a leader of Jorhat district unit of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) was killed by a mob. Police said Bhuyan and two others had stopped their vehicle to help a scooterist who had fallen and got injured. The scooterist alleged that the vehicle had hit his scooter and an argument started. Preliminary investigation suggested the scooterist was in a drunken state and had fallen on his own. Neeraj then came to the spot and a mob started beating Animesh and two others. Animesh died later.

Animesh's killing triggered an outrage across Assam following which Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma instructed Special Director General of Police, G P Singh to monitor the investigation of the case to ensure that the chargesheet is filed on time.

"Sir, strong and firm action would be taken. Charge sheets will be filed as desired," Singh tweeted on Tuesday while replying to CM's tweet instructing him to monitor the investigation.

Soon after Das was killed by the police vehicle, Singh tweeted on Wednesday morning, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction: Newton's Third Law."

Many of those who staged a protest against Bhuyan's killing were seen on Wednesday morning bursting crackers and expressing happiness over Neeraj's death. Many, however, called it an "encounter executed differently".

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