A hawker from Uttar Pradesh was beaten to death by an unruly mob in Tripura on suspicions of being a child kidnapper. The locals thought that the man was a part of the gang of three people, believed to be child-lifters, who have reached the town near state capital Agartala.
The hysteria fuelled by social media, especially fake news floating on WhatsApp about gangs out on the streets to kidnap children has claimed numerous lives across the country in the last two months.
The man, identified as Jahir Khan, died on the spot. His two associates Gulzar and Khurshid Khan, survived the attack but are battling for their lives. All of them are from Uttar Pradesh.
Also read: At Least 11 Lynchings In Last Two Months Show That Mobs Quickly React To WhatsApp Rumours
But as word got around, hundreds of people came out on the streets to punish the men they believed were criminals.
Reports say that the hawkers and the driver of their vehicle ran into a small Tripura State Rifles camp. The security personnel fired two rounds in the air and four tear gas shells to disperse the mob but they were unable to control the huge gathering.?
"However, nearly a thousand frantic people chased them and entered the camp, and lynched one of the hawkers," said Smriti Ranjan Das, a senior police officer, according to news agency Press Trust of India.
A few policemen were also injured while trying to save the hawkers.
Also read: Unruly Mob Rule, After Assam Nightmare, Man Suspected To Be Child-Lifter Lynched In Chhattisgarh
India¡¯s obsession with fake news, rumours and forwarding of messages is leading to the killing of people across the country. The ¡®child kidnap¡¯ rumours doing rounds on WhatsApp have already led to the lynching of several people and the spate doesn¡¯t seem to stop anytime soon.
The country is gripped under a technology-fuelled frenzy because of rumours that spread via WhatsApp and the police say it is extremely difficult to debunk the messages on social media that spread like wildfire.