Rumors of child kidnapping have caused fear in Jharkhand, leading to several incidents of mob violence in the past five days. At least 12 cases of mob attacks based on suspicion have been recorded in various parts of the state, prompting the police to urge for calm.
In one incident on Thursday morning in Ranchi’s Edalhatu area, a mob assaulted three innocent individuals – two women and a man – who were traveling in an auto-rickshaw with a child. The child’s crying led to an allegation of a kidnapping attempt, escalating quickly as locals gathered and attacked the occupants without verifying the situation.
Police from Bariatu police station, led by officer-in-charge Manoj Kumar, intervened promptly, rescuing the victims and preventing a potentially fatal outcome. The victims were then taken to the police station for further inquiry.
The recent incident in Ranchi is part of a concerning trend where similar mob attacks based on child-lifting rumors have been reported in various districts including Dhanbad, Chatra, Jamshedpur, Jamtara, Giridih, Ramgarh, Latehar, and Bokaro. Authorities have emphasized the need for citizens to avoid taking the law into their own hands and to report any suspicious activities to the police instead of resorting to violence.
