India: Two lynched by mob in Assam June 8

Event

On June 8, two Indian tourists were killed in a mob lynching in the district of Karbi Anglong (Assam state; northeast). As of Monday, June 11, 19 individuals have been arrested in connection with their deaths. According to reports, the mob attacked the two individuals after a rumor of them being child kidnappers spread quickly via a messaging application.

Protests also erupted on June 10 in Guwahati (Assam state), where the two individuals were from.

Context

Mob killing have been recurrent in the recent months across various states including Andhra Pradesh, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu, and Telengana. Between May and June 2018, at least seven individuals were killed by mob lynching following rumors circulating on a messaging applications.

Advice

Individuals in India are advised to avoid all protests and gatherings as a precaution.