Assam: Court to Deliver Verdict in Abhi–Nil Mob Lynching Case After Eight Years

Nearly eight years after one of Assam’s most disturbing incidents of mob violence, a sessions court in Nagaon is set to pronounce its verdict today in the Abhi–Nil lynching case. The case relates to the killing of Nilotpal Das and Abhijit Nath, two young men from Guwahati who were attacked by a mob on June 8, 2018, in Panjuri village of Karbi Anglong. The victims were reportedly mistaken for child abductors amid rumours circulating on social media, leading to a violent assault that later triggered widespread outrage across the state and the country. Following the incident, police arrested over 40 individuals and filed charges under multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including murder and unlawful assembly. The trial, which extended over several years, involved eyewitness testimonies, forensic inputs, and video evidence that played a key role in identifying the accused. With security heightened around the court premises, families of the victims and members of civil society are closely watching the outcome, which is expected to address accountability in cases of mob violence and the role of misinformation in triggering such incidents.