A man suspected of stealing a cellphone from a house in Assam’s Sivasagar district, has been beaten to death by the locals. Palu Gowala, 27, was taken to the hospital by the police where he succumbed to his injuries.

Police sources said Palu Gowala and another man, Dadu Orang, were accused of breaking into the home of a local in the quiet neighborhood of Sivasagar’s Phukan Nagar and stealing a mobile phone. They were caught and soon a mob in took matters into their own hands. Both men sustained extensive injuries in the beating that followed.

Cellphone videos from the spot captured part of the torture. One of the men is seen writhing on the ground while two men, one of them armed with a stick, are heard threatening him. The man’s answer fails to placate them.

As a few of the women egg them on, the man with the stick beats him mercilessly. Several other men armed with sticks are seen standing around. There are many bystanders but no one volunteers to help the victims. In the intermittent silence, only the whack of the stick can be heard.

A police team that arrived at the location later, rescued both men and took them to a local hospital. A case has been registered and investigations are on.

Guwahati/Agartala:

Several northeastern states, including Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, and Assam (southern part), remained cut off from the rest of the country by rail as railway tracks were waterlogged and damaged after landslides triggered by incessant rain in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal, officials said on Wednesday.

A Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) official said that railway tracks were inundated due to heavy rains or damaged in at least ten places in the New Haflong-Bandarkhal section under the Lumding division in southern Assam’s Dima Hasao district, which is a connecting route to south Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram.

“Our engineers and workers are working round-the-clock to restore rail services but heavy rain and adverse weather conditions badly affected the restoration work,” the NFR official told IANS.

He said that full-fledged work could not be started until the rain stopped.

The NFR had cancelled a large number of express, passenger and goods trains bound for south Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram since Tuesday.

According to the NFR official, passenger and goods train services have been affected in the region since April 25 owing to heavy landslides causing damage to railway tracks in the Jatinga Lumpur-New Harangajao section under the Lumding division after heavy rains lashed the mountainous Dima Hasao district.

Considering the damaged railway tracks and weak soil in the region, the NFR recently operated a limited number of trains in the daytime on the hilly route, besides regulating long-distance and express trains. The disruptions in services caused a major shortage of transport fuel — petrol and diesel — and other essential goods in southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur. Due to the heavy rain and landslides, highway connectivity was also affected in these states, which are heavily dependent on fuel, essential items, food grains and other commodities from the outside.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Guwahati/Agartala:

Ahead of the approaching severe cyclonic storm “Remal”, disaster management authorities and security forces in various northeastern states have been placed on high alert and the district administrations asked to take advance precautionary steps.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, Cyclone Remal has made landfall between Sagar Island along West Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh, intensifying into a severe cyclone. A maximum sustained wind speed of 110-120 kmph, gusting to 135 kmph, prevails around the cyclone centre.

Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram governments have issued separate advisories and asked the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Forces, district administrations and other departments to maintain maximum vigilance.

The Assam government has taken measures to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said the IMD has warned of extremely heavy rainfall over Assam along with other northeastern states on May 27 and 28.

An Orange alert has been issued for Dhubri, South Salmara, Bongaigaon, Bajali, Tamulpur, Barpeta, Nalbari, Morigaon, Nagaon, Hojai, and West Karbi Anglong districts and Red Alert for extremely heavy rainfall in Chirang, Goalpara, Baksa, Dima Hasao, Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts, an ASDMA statement said.

The Tripura government has closed all educational institutions including universities on May 27 and 28.

The state’s Revenue Secretary Brijesh Pandey said in view of Remal’s impact on the coastal region of West Bengal, including Kolkata, all kinds of flight operations in the Kolkata-Agartala route were suspended till 9 a.m. on Monday.

Flight services on other routes — Agartala-Guwahati, Agartala-Delhi, and Agartala-Bengaluru — are operating normally.

The first cyclone in the Bay of Bengal in this pre-monsoon season, it has been named “Remal” (or sand in Arabic), according to a system of naming cyclones in the Indian Ocean region.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Guwahati:

The police in Assam have seized fake currency notes worth Rs 1,85,000 and also arrested one person in this connection, an official said on Thursday.

An official said that the Special Task Force (STF) conducted an operation based on specific input in the Puberun Path area in Guwahati.

One person identified as Shazarul Islam, 30, was arrested.

Islam is a resident of Daulatpur village in Lakhimpur district.

Two mobile phones and cash from his possession were also seized by the police.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Guwahati:

Padma Shri awardee Birubala Rabha, renowned for her fight against witch hunting, passed away at a hospital here on Monday after a long battle with cancer, doctors said.

Survived by two sons, a daughter, and other relatives, Rabha, 75, was admitted to the State Cancer Institute of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on April 22 due to severe weakness, GMCH superintendent Abhijit Sarma said.

“She has been a patient of advanced stage carcinoma oesophagus since 2021 and was undergoing treatment at our hospital. She was put on a metallic stent because of difficulty in swallowing six month ago,” he added.

As Rabha’s condition deteriorated, she was admitted to the hospital last month and was shifted to ICU on May 4, followed by mechanical ventilator support on Sunday as she developed respiratory distress, Sarma said.

“After all possible intensive care, she breathed her last at 9:23 am due to multi-organ failure,” he added.

Rabha, whose son and brother were victims of witch hunting, had fearlessly led her NGO ‘Mission Birubala’ amidst extreme hostility in remote areas. Despite facing numerous attempts on her life by superstitious villagers branding her a witch, she continued her courageous work.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his deep condolences over the passing away of the social activist.

“I am deeply distressed to learn about the passing away of Padma Shri Smt Birubala Rabha. Through her untiring efforts to end social evils, she illuminated the paths of scores of women with hope and confidence.

“Rising through a challenging life, she epitomised courage against all odds. Assam will forever remain grateful for her leadership in serving society,” he posted on X.

Representing the Assam government, Environment and Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary reached the GMCH and offered his condolences.

“It is a big loss to the state and the country. We will never get another person like Birubala Rabha, who defied all odds and stood up for humanity,” he added.

Her remains will be taken to her home in Goalpara district and the last rites will be performed with full state honours, Patowary said.

Born in remote Thakurvila village in Goalpara in 1949, she had a struggling childhood. Her father died when she was six, forcing her to drop out of school after class 5 and help her mother run the household. Rabha was just 15 years old when she was married to a farmer with whom she had three children.

Rabha was instrumental in the enactment of the Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Act, 2015, which made every offence related to witch hunting as cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable, making provisions for imprisonment up to seven years along with a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh for identifying and calling a person witch.

Her struggle against the menace began when her son was branded a ‘witch’ and diagnosed to die within three days because he was mentally not sound. Her family was isolated for three years after she started raising her voice against witch hunting.

Rabha formed ‘Mission Birubala’ in 2012 to create awareness among people against the social evil and all forms of superstitious beliefs, besides providing rehabilitation to the victims of witch hunting menace. The organisation has saved lives of 55 victims so far in Majuli, Kokrajhar, Goalpara and Tinsukia districts.

Recognising her work to protect lives in rural India, she was conferred with the fourth highest civilian award of the country ‘Padma Shri’ in 2021.

Under the project ‘1,000 Women’, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 by The Swiss Peace, Switzerland. She received Honorary Doctorate from Gauhati University, besides being recognised with innumerable awards by various organisations.

Condolence messages have started pouring in from different quarters, hailing Rabha as a symbol of crusader against superstition and upholder of mankind.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said Rabha Baideo (elder sister) battled against the superstitions and prejudices entrenched in the society, exemplifying the strength of women through unwavering determination and courage.

“Inspired by her work, we shall always remain motivated to persistently serve the community, irrespective of challenges. The news of Baideo’s passing fills my heart with deep sorrow. Her departure leaves an irreplaceable void in Assam’s social fabric,” he added.

Assam Jatiya Parishad President Lurinjyoti Gogoi also said Rabha’s contribution will always be remembered and her ideals will be a guide for every generation to come.

Condoling her death, Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah said Rabha’s demise is an irreparable loss to Assamese society. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Guwahati:

Ahead of the Durga Puja festival, the Assam government on Tuesday has decided to provide Rs 10,000 to each 6953 puja pandals across the state as grants-in-aid.

The decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting held in Guwahati under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Announcing the cabinet decisions, Assam Tourism Minister Jayanta Mall Baruah said that, Rs 10,000 each would be given to 6953 puja pandals as grants-in-aid.

“The state cabinet also decided that all cabinet ministers will stay for 5 days and 5 nights at a particular village from December 25 to January 10, 2024. Foundation stones will be laid for 400 new buildings of high and higher secondary schools and of these 100 will be completely new schools in tea garden areas. For the renovation of buildings of old schools, Rs 7 crore will be allocated to each school and foundation stones to be laid from December 25 to January 10, 2024. The 5 villages will be chosen from 5 different zones. During their stay, the Ministers will assess practical implementation of welfare schemes, including the level of saturation achieved in such schemes,” Mr Baruah said.

Mr Baruah said that the state cabinet has also taken the decision of settlement of land in favour of 123 indigenous, landless families (105 families of Charaideo and 18 families of Darrang) for homestead purposes in urban areas under Mission Basundhara 2.0. The offer of settlement has already been issued to more than 55,000 landless families after approval from respective district SDLACs and oversight by Guardian Ministers.

“The state cabinet also approved the Holiday list for 2024, to strengthen its financial health, outstanding loan amount of Rs 54 crore and outstanding interest of Rs 10.92 crore as on March 31, 2023 of Assam Financial Corporation to be converted towards equity capital of the Corporation, Opt-In and Opt-Out options for Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA) to be provided to doctors under Health Department once every 5 years of service length w.e.f. 1 January 2024. NPA will be rolled out to all doctors working under the Health Department from the rank of M&HO-I to the rank of DHS, uniform retirement date for Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers in mini Anganwadi Centres (AWCs), the date of relinquishment of services for all Anganwadi Workers and Helpers in mini AWCs will be April 30 of the year on or just after completion of 60 years of age, and their services shall be discontinued accordingly.” Minister Baruah further said.

Mr Baruah further said that to boost renewable power, the state cabinet decided that, the 24-MW Karbi Langpi Middle-II Hydro Power Project would be implemented at a revised cost of Rs 417.32 crore and it will also generate employment opportunities for 150 people during the construction phase and 44 people during the operation phase.

“To strengthen AIDC, the state cabinet decided to effectively utilize HPCL’s resources investment of Rs 758.75 crore made by Assam government under Grants-in-Aid towards acquisition of assets and payment of relief package to be converted as an equity investment by Assam government in AIDC, limit of authorized share capital of AIDC to be enhanced from existing Rs 150 crore to Rs 1000 crore to accommodate the proposed investment of Assam government and this is to strengthen and empower AIDC as a premier industrial development corporation,” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A 50-year-old Assam woman, who was declared an illegal migrant from Bangladesh due to her mismatch names in voters’ lists, has now regained her Indian citizenship after a six-year-long legal battle.

Dulubi Bibi, a resident of Cachar district’s Udharbond area, was declared a foreign migrant by the Foreigners Tribunal in 2017 in Assam’s Silchar district based on her mismatched names in the multiple voter lists.

Last week, Ms Bibi was declared as an Indian citizen based on circumstantial evidence.

The Foreigners Tribunal officer wrote in its order dated 7/10/2023, a copy of which is available with NDTV, that considering the facts and materials submitted and depositions in the earliest and present detailed of 1965, 1985 and 1997 along with the new documents of 1993 and 2015 voters list are to be appreciated without any doubt.

Expressing her happiness after proving her citizenship, Ms Bibi said; “Today I am happy because I got my Indian Citizenship. After having Indian Citizenship, I was branded as Bangladeshi. My grandparents are Indian Citizens how I can branded as Bangladeshi. For two years I stayed in Silchar detention centre, I am a Muslim woman and my family is conservative. I used to work as a cook before going to jail.”

“I’m not sure my husband will accept me or I’ll get any works now. Will the government take responsibility of this damage,” she further told while speaking with NDTV.

In March 2017, during the hearing of a 1998 case under the Illegal Migrants Determination by Tribunals Act, she was declared as a Bangladeshi national after her name was found mismatch in the electoral roll.

Foreigners Tribunal, a quasi-judicial body that decides the citizenship status of persons living in Assam, also found inconsistencies in her father’s and grandparents’ names in voters’ lists.

Following this, she was arrested in April 2018 and sent to a Silchar-based detention centre.

After spending two years in a detention camp, she was released on bail in April 2020 following a direction of the Supreme Court.

In May 2023, she challenged the 2017 FT-order in the Guwahati High Court.

Silchar:

A name mismatch in multiple voters’ list had led to the declaration of a woman in Assam as an illegal immigrant from Bangladesh in 2017, only to be acknowledged as an Indian citizen based on circumstantial evidence six years later, officials said.

Dulubi Bibi, 50, a resident of Udharbond area in Cachar district, was declared a foreigner by the Foreigners’ Tribunal-3 of Silchar on March 20, 2017 during hearing of a 1998 case under Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act (which was later re-registered under Foreigners Tribunals Act in 2015).

Tribunal member B K Talukdar had then observed in his order that Dulubi Bibi failed to prove that she and her father were born in India and resided in its territory prior to 1971, and as such the tribunal was of the opinion she migrated into India illegally.

It found that she was identified by different names in various voters’ lists and there were mismatches in the names of her father and grandfather, too.

The tribunal also ordered the police to arrest Dulubi Bibi and keep her under detention.

She was later released from the detention centre on bail following a direction of the Supreme Court and in May this year, she challenged the 2017 Foreigners’ Tribunal order in the Gauhati High Court.

The District Legal Service Authority (DLSA), Cachar provided her free legal support and appointed advocate Mahitosh Das as lawyer.

Das said the high court directed the tribunal to hear the case again.

“During the tribunal’s hearings, Dulubi Bibi claimed she had adequate evidence to prove her connection with her grandfather, whose name appeared in multiple voters’ lists before 1965,” Das said.

She was declared Indian by the same tribunal member B K Talukdar, who had earlier declared her an illegal immigrant in 2017, he said.

Talukdar was convinced with the materials produced and arguments placed before him, and declared her as an Indian citizen, the lawyer said.

“… My considered opinion is the OP (Dulubi Bibi) is a citizen of India born out of Indian citizens living in Indian soil,” Talukdar said in his order issued earlier this week and made available to her on Thursday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Karbi Anglong (Assam):

The sleuths of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam on Thursday caught red-handed and arrested a police Sub-Inspector in Karbi Anglong district while accepting a bribe.

The Vigilance & Anti-Corruption team also recovered a cash amount of Rs 17.74 lakh from his official residence. The arrested police Sub-Inspector was identified as Sanat Kumar Mudoi, Officer-In-Charge of Dokmoka Police Station in Karbi Anglong district.

Rajib Saikia, Joint Director of DIPR told ANI that, a complaint was received at the Directorate of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption, Assam, alleging that Sub Inspector of Police (UB) Sanat Kumar Mudoi, Officer-In-Charge of Dokmoka Police Station had demanded Rs 40,000 as bribe from the complainant for allowing disturbance free movement of the complainant’s trucks carrying Iron Rods/cement through Dokmoka police station area.

“Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the Directorate for taking necessary legal action against the public servant. Accordingly, a trap was laid on Thursday by a team from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam, at Dokmoka Police Station. Sub Inspector (UB) Sanat Kumar Mudoi, Officer-In-Charge of the Police Station was caught red-handed, in the presence of independent witnesses, immediately after he accepted Rs 4,000 as part of the demanded bribe from the complainant. The tainted bribe money has been recovered from his possession and has been seized accordingly, in the presence of independent witnesses,” Rajib Saikia said.

Further, a search of the official residence of the Sub-Inspector located inside the premises of the Police Station has been conducted by the team from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.

“Cash amount of Rs 17,74,500 has been recovered and seized in the presence of independent witnesses. Finding sufficient evidence against the public servant, he has been arrested by the team of the Directorate of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption, Assam,” Rajib Saikia said.

In this connection, a case was registered in ACB Police Station on 12/10/2023 vide Case No. 82/2023, under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018).

Necessary legal follow-up action is underway.

Buxar:

Coaches can be seen strewn on both sides of the track, a few of these several feet away, in Raghunathpur, a non-descript town in Buxar district of Bihar where the North East Express derailed.

Four AC coaches, all of which have jumped the rails but remained coupled, form a scary serpentine pattern with shattered window panes serving as a telltale sign.

The guard of the Assam-bound train, Vijay Kumar, recalls having fallen unconscious from the impact of the derailment.

“I was busy with my paperwork when I realized that the driver suddenly applied brakes. This was followed by a few jerks, and I fainted. Later, I found myself in the adjoining fields, where villagers were sprinkling drops of water on my face,” said Kumar, who has sustained minor injuries.

With the rescue of passengers complete, the focus is now on restoration.

The entire area has been cordoned off as villagers watch gigantic cranes and machinery used for cutting through metal at work. They feel that, given the scale of devastation, it may be several days before the tracks are again fit for traffic.

Railways, though, insist that it will not take that long.

Mahendra Yadav, a 64-year-old resident of Madhepura district who was traveling in an AC 3-tier coach, recalled amid sobs, “It was an experience I may never forget. Suddenly, all of us started getting tossed off our berths by a force that none of us could fathom.” The elderly person is full of gratitude for local residents who had rushed to the spot and pulled out most of the passengers from the toppled coaches by the time the railway and other administrative officials arrived with assistance.

In an adjoining coach, Mohd Nasir and Abu Zayed, both residents of Kishanganj district, were fast asleep, perhaps enjoying pleasant dreams of a vacation at home, away from the hustle and bustle of Delhi.

As fate would have it, only one of them survived to witness the horror, which may remain a memory etched in his consciousness for some time to come.

“We had boarded the train on Wednesday morning. It was a tiring journey, and after having an early dinner, we went to sleep. The train would have reached Kishanganj early the next morning. Suddenly, I felt a jolt and got thrown off my berth. It took a while before I could understand what had happened,” said Nasir, with shock writ large on his gaunt, bespectacled face.

While Nasir thanked his stars for escaping with minor bruises in the accident, which saw virtually the entire train being thrown off the rails, his eyes turned moist as he recalled rescue personnel taking away the body of Abu Zayed, who is in his 20s, informing him that his friend was dead.

Ishalaur Rehman, a resident of Delhi, recalled how 10-15 people fell on him after a sudden jolt.

“I am lucky to have survived the accident with a minor injury to my hand. But what I saw was unforgettable. I boarded the train at Prayagraj for New Jalpaiguri. I was sitting on my seat, but suddenly, there was a deafening sound, and we were thrown from our seats. I could only hear screams all around,” he said.

“Locals took us to the nearby health center. Now, I am fine,” he added.

Twenty-three coaches of the train, on the way to Kamakhya in Assam from Delhi’s Anand Vihar station, derailed near Raghunathpur on Wednesday night.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)