A special court in Assam's Nagaon has convicted 20 accused in the 2018 lynching of a businessman and musician in Karbi Anglong over rumours that they were child abductors.
The two victims, Abhijit Nath and Nilotpal Das, were on their way to catch exotic fish when the mob intercepted their vehicle, dragged them out, assaulted them, and killed them on the spot.
The Assam Police arrested 45 people and apprehended three juveniles in the case, with 12 witnesses examined during the trial.
However, eight of the witnesses turned hostile, claiming they were tutored and pressured, and the defence relied on inconsistencies to challenge the prosecution's case.
The prosecution maintained that statements recorded under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure remained valid evidence, and the trial court accepted this argument.
The court convicted the accused under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder, unlawful assembly, and obstructing a public servant in discharge of duty.
The defence argued that the incident took place in a climate of panic triggered by rumours, and questioned aspects of witness statements and investigation procedures.
