7 lynched on rumours of children’s abduction

Hundreds of tribal people have lynched seven people in separate incidents in Jharkhand in the past 24 hours over rumours of child abduction, police said. Fear-struck tribals along the borders of S era ike laKh ar saw an, East Singhbhum and West Singhbhum districts have picked up weapons and are attacking every stranger.

JAMSHEDPUR: Hundreds of tribal people have lynched seven people in separate incidents in Jharkhand in the past 24 hours over rumours of child abduction that spread like wildfire across the tribal belt in the state’s southern districts, police said on Friday.

Struck by fear that a few outsiders infiltrated into their villages to abduct children, tribal people along the borders of Seraikela-Kharsawan, East Singhbhum and West Singhbhum districts, have picked up traditional weapons and are attacking every stranger.

Seven people have been lynched in two separate incidents on Thursday, two were killed a week back and at least six have escaped with injuries over the last 10 days. The seven people lynched on Thursday included four Muslims and three Hindus from neighbouring non-tribal villages and urban areas.

“These are highly superstitious acts that cannot be called communal,” said East Singhbhum senior police superintendent, Anup T Mathew. He denied any incidents of child abduction. “A massive awareness drive is required to check the attacks and killings,” he said.

Mathew added that his men were moving village to village shouting on loud speakers to dispel fears of child lifters.

The first incident occurred in Rajnagar block’s Sobhapur village where four Muslim youth, all cattle traders, were cornered and lynched by villagers. When police reached to rescue the traders, the villagers attacked and damaged the police van before fleeing.