By Monjib Mochahari
After series of terror strikes last year, the mysterious killing of more than six people has been reported since last Monday, in the hub of Guwahati city in Assam. The people who are in panic suspect it to be a serial killer. The target of the serial killer is so far the homeless pavement dwellers and beggars. The first incident of such type of killing was reported in the first week of January when a labourer was found dead in Fancy Bazaar in Guwahati.
According to the police, all the victims have been attacked the same way and all of them were pavement dwellers. “In all these attacks the modus operandi has been the same. Our investigations indicate that all the incidents occurred between 3.30am and 5am. As such, the same person or group is suspected to be behind the attacks,” Mr Debojit Deuri, the city police chief said.
The police and district administration is clueless is working day and night to nab the culprit. Police have failed to nab the culprit but have arrested four youths few days back for questioning. However, the arrested youth claimed that they are all innocent. The Guwahati police are struggling to solve the case amid intense public pressure. “I admit that we have failed to trace him,” Deuri, , said in an interview.
The murders come as a Bollywood thriller, ‘The Stoneman Murders’, based on the unsolved serial killings of beggars in Mumbai between 1985 and 1987, hit the screens last week.
Rameshwar Boro is one of the survivors. “He was attacked by something. He called out for me, I saw him lying in a pool of blood,” said Champa Boro, wife of victim. For Rameshwar Boro, the pavement has been his home for several years till a stalker three days ago. Ever since he has been immobile and in a state of shock. Like him and his wife, all pavement dwellers are now spending sleepless nights. “If we sleep we will be attacked and then they would extract our kidneys and take it away and sell it,” said Ajay Das, Pavemet Dweller
A majority of the pavement dwellers are daily labourers but they have been staying away from work. Ajay Das, a road construction worker is forced to stay back with his panic stricken family. Rumours about the deaths are spreading fast. Some blame illegal organ harvesters, but police have ruled this out along with claims the attacks were the work of someone practising black magic.
According to the report, there are more than 980 pavement dwellers in the city.However, the figure could be more. Out of which, 503 are male, 390 female, 63 children, along with almost 15 persons with disabilities and 10 people with mental illnesses. All of them belong to a section of vulnerable persons, who can be easily victimised of any crime because they do not have a shelter/home. The pavement dwellers have organised number of patrolling groups to save themselves from such incidences. But this is not adequate since they are not well trained and well equipped. The state government must provide them with protection before further casualty take place.
