On Independence Day, Ali Ahmed, a Class 12 student, was brutally assaulted by a mob in the Cachar district of Assam, India. The incident occurred near a higher secondary school in Narsingpur under the Sonai police station area. Ali had gone to meet a female friend, with whom he had studied until Class 10, when the confrontation took place. The mob, consisting of 15-20 Hindu youngsters, accused Ali of “love jihad,” a term used by some Hindutva groups to allege a conspiracy where Muslim men supposedly lure Hindu women into relationships to convert them to Islam.
Mob Assault and Viral Videos
The assault began around 8 a.m. when the group of boys demanded to know Ali’s name. Upon revealing his name, the mob attacked him violently. Disturbing videos of the incident, which have since gone viral on social media, show Ali shirtless, tied to a pole, and bleeding from his nose and mouth. In one video, he is seen with his hands bound, being dragged by a rope and paraded in front of a crowd. The girl, who was also assaulted, is seen crying in the background, further highlighting the brutality of the attack.
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Police Response and Arrest
Despite the severity of the assault and the availability of video evidence, the police have not made any arrests related to the mob attack. However, Ali was arrested just hours after the incident, following a complaint lodged by the girl’s family. According to Cachar Superintendent of Police Numal Mahatta, Ali was arrested under charges from the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, based on the girl’s statement. An official at the Sonai police station claimed that Ali had sent an “obscene” video to the girl on WhatsApp and initially introduced himself using a non-Muslim name.
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Ali’s family has expressed outrage over his arrest, accusing the police of bias and discrimination. Rahim Uddin Barbhuyan, Ali’s uncle, alleged that the situation escalated after the intervention of the Hindutva group Bajrang Dal. “Ali was arrested under pressure from Bajrang Dal,” Barbhuyan stated, adding that despite clear evidence of his nephew being brutally beaten, no arrests have been made against the attackers. The family’s complaint against the mob remains unaddressed, fueling concerns over justice and communal tensions in the region.