Two men in their 30s were beaten to death by a mob last evening after they were mistaken for child kidnappers in Assam’s Guwahati. The five main accused in the case have been arrested.

Rumours floated on social media about the presence of child kidnappers in Dokmoka in West Karbi Anglong district of Assam. Locals suspected Abhijeet Nath and Nilotpal Das, who were travelling to Dokmoka, to be kidnappers and attacked them.

According to sources, locals spotted “two suspicious” persons in Panjari Kachari Village on Friday evening. The two men were reportedly headed for Kangthilangso, about 10 kilometres from Dengaon, which is known for its scenic waterfalls.

Around 8 pm, locals attacked their SUV and pulled them out of the car. When the two men tried to escape, they were tied up and brutally assaulted. Both of them died on the spot.

In a video that surfaced today, Nilotpal Das is seen pleading with the local. He tells them he is an Assamese and begs them not to kill him. “Don’t kill me…please don’t beat me. I am an Assamese. Believe me, I am speaking the truth. My father’s name is Gopal Chandra Das and mother’s name is Radhika Das…please let me go,” he is heard in the video.

But the attackers refused to believe and continued to thrash them.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has condemned the incident and directed the Additional Director General of Assam Police (Law and Order) Mukesh Agarwal to look into it.

“It is condemnable that people are being killed after being influenced by rumours and superstition,” the Chief Minister said.

Mr Sonowal has ordered an investigation and promised justice to the victims’ families.

“We have the cellphones of both the victims as well as the mobile phones used to shoot the attack. We have begun our investigation and the accused will be arrested soon,” said Mr Agrawal.

Nilotpal Das was a sound engineer and worked out of Mumbai and Goa, while Abhijeet Nath had his own business.