Assam villagers refuse to bury slain youth accused of killing and injuring teenage girl

GUWAHATI

Five Muslim villages denied burial grounds to a youth shot dead by police on Monday (June 1, 2026) after he attacked a Class 12 girl and her cousin, killing another.

The last rites of Ashik Ali alias Roz were performed at a relative’s plot on Tuesday evening (June 2, 2026) after locals refused to bury him in a public burial ground used by five villages.

Roz was accused of stalking the girl and pressuring her family to marry her despite being rejected. The girl (18) and her cousin Madhurjya Barman (19) were allegedly attacked with a sharp weapon on Sunday evening when they were both returning from Nalbari town.

The incident happened about 300 meters from the girl’s house at Gangapur in Mukalmua town of Nalbari district. Madhurjya, a local leader of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), died on the spot while the girl was rushed to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in a critical condition.

Mukalmua is a little more than 50 km west of Guwahati.

GMCH Superintendent Devajit Choudhury told reporters that he is showing signs of improvement. “We are treating her multiple injuries but she will need counseling to recover from the trauma,” he said.

Nalbari’s Superintendent of Police Bibekananda Das said the accused went into hiding after attacking the two teenagers. Police tracked him to a sandbar near Mukalmu.

“After the arrest, he led our team to the place where he hid the murder weapon. He suddenly snatched an automatic rifle from one of our men and fired four rounds. He was killed in a retaliatory fire in which one of our men was injured,” he said.

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Jayanta Mallabaruah and AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya visited Madhurjy’s residence on Tuesday (June 2).

“Madhurjya was his family’s only hope and support. His untimely death has left an irreplaceable void. I express my deepest condolences and assure the family of all possible support at this difficult time,” the MLA said.

Mr. Bhattacharya said Madhurjy’s death was a “personal loss” to the students’ union.

Meanwhile, police in eastern Assam’s Majuli have arrested four men and two juveniles for allegedly repeatedly raping a 12-year-old girl. Police said the girl was found to be six months pregnant.

“The pregnancy came to light recently after which her family lodged a complaint. Medical examination revealed that the girl was 11 years old when the accused started abusing her. She was 12 years old about four months ago,” said the police officer.

Published – 03 Jun 2026 04:40 IST