NEW DELHI, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The number of arrests in the horrific lynching case of two youths in the northeastern Indian state of Assam has risen to 30, with four more nabbed in the past 48 hours, police said on Saturday.
"So far, 30 people have been arrested in the case. Two were held late Friday evening. Some 40 others have been arrested for spreading rumours on social media about child-lifters," a senior police official said.
The Assam government has vowed to try the suspects in the horrific lynching of two youths in a fast-track court.
"People want exemplenary punishment for those accused in the lynching case. So we should try the case in a fast-track court," state Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said Thursday.
The main accused, Joz Timung, was arrested in Belurghat area in Karbi Anglong district Wednesday.
"He had asked villagers via telephone to stop a vehicle carrying the two youths and spread rumors of them being child lifters," local police official S.P. Ganjala said.
A mob of hundreds had beaten to death the duo, Niloptal Das, a 29-year-old sound engineer, and 30-year-old Abhijeet Nath, while they were on an adventure tourism in a village in Karbi Anglong district, 200 km from capital Guwahati, suspecting them to be child-lifters.
The incident has shocked the country and triggered widespread protests in Assam.
