A Naga driver was left critically injured after he was allegedly attacked with a machete on the Jorhat Highway Bypass in Assam on January 8 while transporting passengers from Kohima to Mon.
According to Konyak Union, the incident occurred when Nayanjyoti Saikia (38), son of late Babul Saikia, allegedly launched an unprovoked machete attack on Tahngom Konyak, the driver of a daily Sumo vehicle carrying ten passengers from Kohima to Mon via Assam.
According to reports aired by Hornbill TV, the accused have been arrested. Bystanders interviewed by the channel said the accused had overtaken vehicles on the highway shortly before the incident. They stated that after hearing a commotion, they found that the driver had been injured and that the accused had fled the scene.
The victim, identified as Tahngom Konyak, was driving a daily Sumo vehicle carrying ten passengers at the time of the incident. He sustained critical injuries and is currently battling for his life. All passengers were rescued and later returned safely to Mon.
Reacting to the incident, the Konyak Union, Mon Headquarters, strongly condemned the attack, describing it as “barbaric and inhuman.”
Condemning the attack, the Konyak Union said such acts of extreme violence constitute a grave criminal offence and represent a direct assault on human dignity, public safety, and the rule of law. The Union expressed deep concern over what it termed the growing insecurity faced by innocent citizens while travelling along national highways, stating that the attack on a driver performing his daily professional duty reflects a disturbing erosion of law and order and instils fear among commuters.
The Union also placed on record its appreciation for the Superintendent of Police, the Officer-in-Charge of Jorhat Police Station, and their team for their prompt intervention in rescuing the passengers, ensuring their safe return to Mon, and apprehending those involved in the incident.
Demanding justice, the Konyak Union called for the accused to be booked under the strictest provisions of law and asserted that no bail or legal leniency should be granted until justice is delivered in full. Any attempt to dilute the seriousness of the crime, it said, would amount to a failure of the justice system and an affront to both the victim and the Konyak community.
The Union further appealed to the people of Assam to uphold harmony and peaceful coexistence between the two states, while urging the Assam government and law-enforcement agencies to strengthen security through round-the-clock highway patrolling, particularly along sensitive and high-traffic corridors.
Reiterating its solidarity with the victim and his family, the Konyak Union said it remains committed to pursuing justice, peace, and the protection of the fundamental rights of all citizens.