Wild rumours on social media about inter-State gangs of child-lifters and kidnappers have created such a panic in the two States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh that the furious mobs were attacking anybody who looks suspicious to them.
While in two such incidents in Nizamabad and Yadadri districts of Telangana resulted in lynching of two persons, a woman was seriously injured when a mob attacked her at Repalle railway station in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh last night.
Situation has taken such a grim turn that it forced the police chiefs in both the States to come out with a public warning against believing such rumors or fake forwards on WhatsApp.
Andhra Pradesh director general of police Malakondaiah who visited Repalle Railway station and also spoke to the victim of the mob attack in Guntur government hospital said that the police have already detained some people who were spread rumors on social media. “Those who indulge in violence on the basis of such rumors will face stringent action”, he said. “An attempt to murder case will be booked who attacked the woman last night”, he said.
He warned people against taking law into their hand because of any rumor. The DGP asked the people to inform the police if they see any suspicious person and not to attack him or her.
Meanwhile in Hyderabad Telangana director general of police M Mahender Reddy denied that any inter-State gang of kidnappers was on the prowl. “These are baseless rumours being spread through social media. Police is alert and we will take action against those spreading such rumors”, he told the media.
“In both the incidents at Bhimgal in Nizamabad and in Bibinagar in Yadadri districts innocent people were killed. When the mob caught and questioned them they could not give satisfactory reply and they were beaten up”, he said adding that the police will take action against those responsible for such incidents.
The DGP said that the police patrolling was being intensified in remote areas and the field level officers were asked to identify the mentally imbalanced persons and beggars in villages and move them to safer places.
In Jiyapally village of Bibinagar locals beat up an auto rickshaw driver to death suspecting him to be the member of a gang of kidnappers. He was identified as N Balakrishna from Korremula village in nearby Ghatkesar and was visiting his brother’s family in the village.
In other similar incident under Pahadishareef police station in Hyderabad one person was beaten up by local people. While police booked a case against the perpetrators, the victim of the attack escaped.
