23 arrested over India lynchings

POLICE in India have arrested 23 people over the lynching of five men suspected of being members of a gang of child kidnappers.

Police spokesman M Ramkumar said five men were bludgeoned to death on Sunday in a village in Maharashtra state.

Local attacked the men when one of them tried to speak to a child at a market, Mr Rajkumar said.

He said ‘the mob was merciless’, and said police had arrested 23 of 40 people accused of participating.