Assam: Islamist gang attacks village in Barpeta; College students and woman beaten, threats issued to Hindus

Anger among the community was sparked on August 17 when a group of Islamists beat up indigenous Assamese Hindu villagers in Dangarkuchi hamlet, which is close to Barpeta town. An Islamist gang of miscreants, including Raju Ali, Rahul Amin, Zulfiqar Ahmed, Shamsul Haque, Jamal Hussain, and others, commanded by former CRPF jawan Sahjahan Ali, carried out the attack. Bikashdeep Baishya, Deepjyoti Das, Kundal Das, Gaurang Das, and a few other young people were gravely hurt in this incident. The Islamist group assaulted two college students during the event when they were travelling on the highway to their campus.

The Islamist group also stormed the home of Purabi Das, an innocent Hindu woman. Threatening to kill her, the accused attempted to force open the house’s door. Additionally, it is said that the Islamist group vowed to forbid any Hindu from residing in Dangkasi hamlet, which is located in the Barpeta district, which has a majority of Muslims. The incident reportedly happened at the home of Kapil Dev Das, a plaintiff in the Gauhati High Court, because Shahjahan Ali’s Islamist gang was attempting to erect an electric post on his property. However, Das disallowed it, and the Guwahati High Court was still hearing the case.

The Islamist group assaulted the Hindu village after being offended by Das’s denial. The victim has reported to the Barpeta Sadar police station that he was attacked in an organised way by a group of Islamists, commanded by the former CRPF jawan Shahjahan, with sickles, sticks, iron rods, and other items because he refused to pull cables for an electricity connection. After the event, Shahjahan, one of the accused, was taken into custody by a police squad headed by a senior Barpeta police official. Later, the team raided another location and apprehended Surat Jamal, another accused person. Barpeta Medical College Hospital admitted the injured. There has been a significant outcry in Dangkachi village in Barpeta following the occurrence of Islamists attacking Assamese people in Bamunbari, Sorbhog, and other villages in Bhawanipur.

In the meantime, the Barpeta Sadar police station has received a case from the police under Sections 191 (2), 193 (3), 190/329 (3), 118 (2), 117 (2), 126 (2), 296/351 (3), 196 (1), and 327/2024 of the Indian Penal Code. This is the third time that Islamists have attacked Hindu communities in the Barpeta district, which has a majority of Muslims, since the results of the Lok Sabha election in 2024 were announced.