Alipurduar, Feb. 27 -- A woman was assaulted by an agitated crowd and handed over to the police for allegedly stealing a cow from a riverbank. The incident took place on Thursday morning in Uttar Patkapara, under Kalchini Police Station. Another person, Afzal Mian, was also arrested for allegedly harboring stolen cattle.
According to locals, on Wednesday afternoon, Tamina Khatun, a resident of Dalma Line, Nimti Jhora Tea Garden, allegedly stole a cow belonging to Ravi Barman of Mendabari from the Kaljani River area. She reportedly handed the cow over to Afzal Mian for smuggling. When the matter came to light, tension escalated in the area on Thursday morning.
A group of locals allegedly apprehended Khatun, took her to the Kalibari field and assaulted her. Before this, her house was reportedly vandalised. Police from Kalchini and Alipurduar arrived and rescued the injured woman, later arresting her. Senior officers intervened to control the situation.
Residents claim cow thefts have been increasing in Uttar Patkapara and Mendabari. They allege that Khatun had been caught before but ignored warnings from community leaders. Local resident Pabitra Roy said: "Cattle have been disappearing for a long time. This arrest caused public outrage." Another villager, Ram Narayan Goala, added: "Frustrated locals vandalised her house before handing her over to the police." Alipurduar Superintendent of Police Y Raghuvamshi said: "Both accused have been arrested. An investigation is underway and they will be produced in court on Friday."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.