Slapped, clothes torn, chain snatched: Three tourists and their Assam friend allege attack in Tinsukia's Kakopathar
Three tourists and their Assam-based friend have alleged that they were assaulted by a crowd in Assam's Tinsukia district while travelling to Dibrugarh Airport on June 6 after attending a wedding in Arunachal Pradesh.
Gaurab Das and Ankur Shah were among a group of four friends returning from Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh, where they had attended a friend's wedding on June 4. According to them, the incident took place near the Kakopathar area of Tinsukia between 11:30 am and noon.
Speaking to India Today NE, Gaurab said their vehicle was stopped by a crowd while they were on their way to catch a flight from Dibrugarh Airport. When they informed those present that they were running late for their flight, they were allegedly asked to move their vehicle aside and were then physically assaulted.
"They slapped us, beat us and even tore our clothes," Gaurab alleged.
Ankur Shah also claimed that his chain was snatched during the incident.
"We just wanted to get away from that scuffle, so we showed them our flight tickets and they let us go," Ankur said.
Expressing concern over the incident, Ankur said he had visited Assam on earlier occasions but had never encountered such a situation.
"If something like this happens to anyone, how are people going to feel safe while travelling? Where is our security? How will industries or investments come if people like us do not feel secure?" he asked.
The four friends were from different places, one from Assam, while the others were from Delhi, Kolkata and the United States.
Gaurab said they were unaware of the reason behind the attack. Later, they learnt that a bandh was reportedly being observed in the area that day and that several other vehicles had also been stopped.
"Only after we showed our flight tickets did the crowd allow us to leave," he said.
As the group was in a hurry to catch their flight, they did not lodge a complaint at the nearest police station.
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