A mob in central Assam’s Karbi Anglong district on Friday evening beat to death two young men from Guwahati who they suspected to be child abductors, Time8 reported. The men – Niloptal Das and Abhijeet Nath – were artistes based in Goa and were back home for the Bohag Bihu festival.

In a purported video of the attack that was circulated on social media, Das is heard pleading with the attackers. “Do not kill me…please do not beat me,” he says. “I am an Assamese. Believe me, I am speaking the truth. My father’s name is Gopal Chandra Das and mother’s name is Radhika Das…please let me go.” The mob did not heed his pleas and continued to beat him with bamboo sticks.

The two men were purportedly on their way to a waterfall at Kangthilangso in the district, when they stopped their vehicle at the village of Panjuri Kachari to ask for directions. Some of the villagers got suspicious and two of them reportedly told the others that these men were child abductors and asked them to attack their vehicle.

“A village defence party told us there were more than 200 people,” Dokmoka police station officer-in charge JS Khowbun told The Shillong Times. “They told us almost 40 minutes after the incident. The site being a remote area, there was a problem with the telephone network as well and hence the delay. But by the time we reached the mob had fled the scene and the two were badly injured. They succumbed to their injuries on way to Dokmoka public health centre.”

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has ordered an investigation into the incident. Director General of Police Kuladhar Saikia told Time8 that a police team from Guwahati led by Additional Director General of Police Mukesh Agarwal had been sent to Karbi Anglong. “We have started our investigation and law will take its own course,” Saikia said. “And there is no truth in the reports that police was present at the spot when the boys were being attacked by the mob.”