Final Stage of Abhi-Neel Mob Lynching Case Trial in Nagaon
Trial Progress in Nagaon Court
Guwahati, Feb 24: The trial concerning the Abhi-Neel mob lynching incident has reached its concluding phase, with the prosecution presenting its final arguments in the Sessions Court of Nagaon.
On Monday, Ziaul Kamar, the Special Public Prosecutor, represented the State, while advocates BK Mahajan and NJ Das acted on behalf of the complainants.
During the trial, out of 12 eyewitnesses, eight declared themselves hostile, claiming they had been influenced by police officers.
In response, the fathers of the victims filed another FIR, alleging that the witnesses faced intimidation to prevent them from testifying in court.
This FIR was registered as Dokmoka PS Case No. 53/2019 and was later included in the chargesheet in 2024.
Mahajan, representing the complainants, contended that the testimony of hostile witnesses should not be disregarded and that parts of their statements supporting the prosecution's case remain valid.
He further argued that these witnesses had previously provided statements under Section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate and had not claimed any police coercion until their court testimony.
According to him, the claim of police tutoring emerged only during their court appearances, suggesting that the witnesses were either threatened or influenced by the accused, which is central to the allegations in Dokmoka PS Case No. 53/2019.
The court has scheduled the opening arguments for the defense on February 26, 2026, after which a date for the final verdict will be determined.
The lynching incident occurred on June 8, 2018, when Neelotpal Das and Abhijit Nath were attacked by a mob in Dokmoka, following rumors that they were child abductors.
In relation to this incident, two FIRs were filed by the victims' fathers, leading to the investigation under Dokmoka PS Case No. 33/2018, which resulted in charges against 48 individuals, including three juveniles.
The trial was moved from the Sessions Court in Karbi Anglong, Diphu, to the Sessions Court in Nagaon by the Gauhati High Court.