Panbari, Tinsukia: An irate mob in Panbari, under Digboi police station, on Thursday morning allegedly torched a commercial four-wheeler (AS06 BC 9422) after rescuing stolen cattle found loaded in the mini truck. The incident reflects heightened anger among agrarian residents who have been long plagued by frequent cattle theft incidents in the area.
Upon catching the theft in progress, the villagers reportedly apprehended and chastised Tulon Changmai, the alleged kingpin from Panbari village, before setting the vehicle ablaze. While Digboi police later rescued Changmai from the scene, his accomplices reportedly managed to flee. It is notable that a member of a four-person gang arrested in a cattle theft case in May 2025 at Masey Gaon in Margherita also hailed from Panbari village, indicating a recurring local involvement.
The angry villagers claimed they resorted to burning the vehicle because it was directly used to transport the stolen cattle. Residents across several villages under the Digboi police jurisdiction have been losing sleep over the steep rise in cattle theft, which has severely impacted their livelihoods. The theft of bulls, especially during peak ploughing season, has not only deprived families of dairy products but also dealt a significant blow to agricultural operations.
This incident echoes a similar event in October 2024, when an agitated mob in Mayong, Morigaon district, torched a vehicle suspected of involvement in cattle theft and reportedly assaulted the driver. The recurring nature of these thefts across districts points to a growing trend often linked to illegal slaughterhouses or cross-border smuggling networks.
Concerns about cattle smuggling and syndicate activity in Upper Assam were also raised by Debabrata Saikia, Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, in December 2024, when he highlighted rising public protests in Sivasagar district over alleged police inaction.
Addressing this rising wave of cattle thefts necessitates strict enforcement of existing laws. Authorities must rigorously implement the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, which authorizes police to seize cattle and vehicles used without permits as a preventive measure. Assam shares a porous border with Bangladesh, and cattle smuggling has remained a persistent issue, with authorities seizing around 13,000 cattle and making approximately 1,300 related arrests in 2022 alone. Smuggling syndicates often operate by stealing cattle from Assam’s interiors and transporting them across state and national borders. This modus operandi has fueled thefts across eastern Assam, frequently involving local youths and, in some cases, alleged collusion with systemic machinery motivated by the lure of quick, illegal profits.
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