Villagers protest torture by chilli

Villagers in east Assam’s Sivasagar district gheraoed a police station on Thursday midnight, forcing district authorities to vow action against police officials responsible for using the world’s hottest chilis to torture two teenagers.

Villagers in east Assam’s Sivasagar district gheraoed a police station on Thursday midnight, forcing district authorities to vow action against police officials responsible for using the world’s hottest chilis to torture two teenagers.

HT Image

HT had reported the inhuman torture on Thursday.

The two boys — Lakhinda Hazarika and his cousin Kumud Phukan — were picked up following a feud between Lakhinda’s father Deba and a neighbour in Duworisiga village. Later charged with stealing mobile phone recharge cards, the two are lodged in Sivasagar district jail.

“We have ensured proper medical treatment for the two boys. And in three days, we will be taking appropriate action against the policemen found guilty of using shocking third degree measures,” district deputy commissioner Nawab Mahmud Hussain told some 1,000 villagers who virtually locked police personnel in Demow police station.

Jitumoni Bora, in-charge of Nitaipukhuri outpost, which falls under Demow station, is accused of disrobing, tonsuring and smearing locally available Bhot Jolokia — the hottest chilli on earth at 1,041,047 Scoville Heat Units compared to the average green chili’s 1,500 — on the two Class X boys.

The boys were also made to ingest some chilis.