Silchar: A youth of south Assam’s Karimganj district, who allegedly suffered an acid attack and was assaulted brutally in a public area by a gang of miscreants recently, is battling for life at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital these days.
The youth Manjur Ahmed hails from Jherjheri under the Patharkandi police station in the Karimganj district and is the son of a person, Bashir Uddin. He is a student of Patharkandi College.
As per available information, Manjur had gone to Moina (which falls under Patharkandi police station) on Wednesday (August 3) evening after receiving a phone call while returning to his home from college. When he reached there, he was tied to a tree and attacked with sharp weapons by a gang of miscreants. The attackers threw acid on his face and left him in a critical state. A group of locals later took him to Karimganj civil hospital but considering his condition he was taken to Guwahati for treatment.
Sources said Manjur, who has serious injuries on his face and eyes, is admitted to the intensive care unit of GMCH and is under treatment.
On Wednesday, a huge number of people under the banner of an organisation Jherjheri Yuva Unnayan Sangstha took out a rally in Patharkandi in protest against the attack on the youth. Around noon on Wednesday, the rally began near the Patharkandi-Mundamala bypass road and reached the Patharkandi circle office around 2 pm after meandering through various localities. The organisation members submitted a memorandum to the Karimganj deputy commissioner seeking stern action against all those involved in the attack on the youth. They warned of intensifying protests if their demand is not fulfilled soon.
Patharkandi police station’s officer in charge Samarjit Basumatary told EastMojo on Wednesday that two persons Rumona Begum and Faijul Uddin had been apprehended in connection with the incident so far. “Rumona was arrested last week and is in judicial custody, while Faijul was held early on Wednesday morning and is in police custody. He will be produced before a court on Thursday,” Basumatary said.
He said police have registered a case under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting while being armed with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly), 342 (wrongful confinement), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or other means), 326A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by using acid etc), 379 (theft), 307 (attempt to murder) and 34 (criminal acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and initiated an investigation into the matter. “A manhunt is on. Hopefully, all the culprits involved in the crime will be arrested soon,” Basumatary said.
A section of local people claimed the matter (of attack on Manjur) is related to a love affair between Manjur and a girl. Another section of locals, however, suspected Manjur was attacked due to any matter related to past revenge.
EastMojo tried contacting Patharkandi MLA Krishnendu Paul for a reaction over the matter, but he did not respond to phone calls.
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