2 persons killed in Tripura on suspicion of being child-lifters

AGARTALA: Two persons were killed and two others injured by mobs in two separate incidents in Tripura on Thursday over rumours of presence of child lifters in the state, the menace that has claimed several lives across the country since the rumour started on Whatsapp almost a month ago.

The first incident took place at Murabari area in Sidhai, nearly 28 km from capital Agartala, where Zahid Khan (30), Gulzan Ahmed Khan and Khursheed Khan (22) had gone in a van to sell utensils when they were targeted by locals. Zahid and Gulzan hail from Bihar and Khursheed is a resident of Uttar Pradesh, police said.

Police said some locals suspected them to be child kidnappers and started thrashing them brutally. The three ran and took shelter at a nearby Tripura State Rifles (TSR) camp, but the mob entered the enclosure and started beating them there, too, police said.

The grievously injured victims were rushed to a nearby hospital where Zahid was declared brought dead. The condition of Gulzan and Khursheed is stated to be critical.

The second incident happened at Manubazar area in South Tripura district, nearly 120 km from Agartala on Thursday evening, when one Sukanta Chakraborty, 33, was attacked by some people while he was campaigning against rumours of child abductors. Police rushed to the spot and took him to the hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Chakraborty was hired for the campaigning by Information and Culture Affairs Department.