Assam riots: CBI makes first arrests

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday made the first arrests in Assam violence cases by taking into custody five youths in connection with alleged lynching of four Bodo youths in Kokrajhar area in July.

These five persons belonging to non-Bodo community were called for questioning on Tuesday and were taken into custody after they allegedly admitted their involvement in the crime, CBI sources said.

Making a significant head way in the case, the agency has also recovered two mobile phones which belonged to the lynched youths which helped them in identifying the accused persons, they said.

On July 20, four former Bodo youths were killed allegedly by a mob in Kokrajhar triggering ethnic violence in Assam.

The sources said Mohammed Hashem Ali, Mohammed Adom Ali Sheikh, Mohammed Hashim Ali Rehman, Mohammed Qurban Ali Sheikh, Mohammed Imran Hussain were arrested after detailed questioning by agency sleuths.

They would soon be produced before the special court for custody.

"The CBI had registered this case on 10.8.2012 relating to the alleged lynching of four Bodo youths by a mob in Police Station Kokrajhar(Assam)," CBI spokesperson said in Guwahati.

She said the CBI had taken up investigation of seven cases including relating to recent incidents of ethnic violence in certain places of Assam on the request of the government of Assam and further notification from government of India.

"These cases were earlier registered by Assam Police," she said.