Six people have been arrested and two minors detained in connection with the killing of 29-year-old Assam Regiment jawan Zakaria Lalhriattluanga in Mizoram’s Kolasib district.
According to police, the six accused have been remanded to judicial custody and lodged in Kolasib District Prison and Correctional Centre, while the two minors are under the supervision of the district Juvenile Justice Board. The accused have been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Mizoram Liquor Prohibition Act, 2019.
Lalhriattluanga, who was posted in Jammu and Kashmir, had returned home on leave and arrived at Lengpui Airport on September 20. He was travelling to his native New Builum village with his friend John Laltanpuia when the incident occurred near Bualpui on National Highway-306.
Police said an argument broke out after two trucks faced difficulty crossing each other on a damaged stretch of road. The dispute escalated when a group of youths allegedly assaulted Laltanpuia. Lalhriattluanga reportedly intervened to protect his friend and was attacked, sustaining serious injuries. He later succumbed to his wounds.
Following the incident, police arrested eight people. After a post-mortem examination, the soldier was laid to rest with full military honours.
The victim’s family described him as the sole breadwinner of the household. His mother said he joined the Assam Regiment in 2017 and had been supporting his elderly parents, who are no longer able to earn a livelihood due to age-related difficulties.
