Ranchi, Feb 19 (IANS): A dangerous wave of mass hysteria over alleged child-lifting gangs has triggered a spate of mob violence across Jharkhand, with Jamshedpur, Ranchi, and Dhanbad emerging as major flashpoints.
In just five days, at least 12 separate incidents of mob assault have been reported, resulting in one death in Chatra and several near-fatal attacks on innocent travelers. Despite Jharkhand Police confirming that no organized kidnapping gangs exist, unverified WhatsApp messages continue to spark panic in the Steel City and surrounding districts, prompting authorities to issue an emergency appeal for calm.
On Thursday morning, three innocent persons — two women and a man — were surrounded and assaulted by a mob in the Edalhatu area of Ranchi on suspicion of child theft. They were travelling in an auto-rickshaw with a child when the incident occurred.
According to eyewitnesses, the child was crying, following which someone raised an alarm alleging that a kidnapping attempt was being made. As the rumour spread rapidly, locals gathered, stopped the auto-rickshaw, and dragged the three occupants out. The situation quickly turned violent, with the mob attacking them without verifying the facts.
Police from Bariatu police station, led by officer-in-charge Manoj Kumar, reached the spot promptly and rescued the victims, averting what could have been a fatal incident. They were taken to the police station for questioning.
Preliminary investigations have not confirmed the existence of any organised child-lifting gang. Officials said it remains unclear whether there was any actual attempt to abduct the child, and the matter is under investigation.
The Ranchi incident is part of a worrying pattern. Over the past five days, similar mob attacks based on child-lifting rumours have been reported from Dhanbad, Chatra, Jamshedpur, Jamtara, Giridih, Ramgarh, Latehar, and Bokaro.
Three days ago, a man was beaten to death in the Piparwar area of Chatra district after being suspected of child theft. Subsequent inquiries revealed that the deceased was mentally unstable and had no links to any kidnapping attempt.
On Wednesday, two women were attacked by a mob in Dhanbad’s Baghmara area following similar rumours. Police intervened in time and rescued them.
Earlier, on February 16, six women were assaulted in Bokaro on suspicion of being members of a child-lifting gang before police stepped in and ensured their safety.
Jharkhand Police have urged citizens not to take the law into their own hands and to refrain from acting on unverified information circulating on social media platforms, particularly WhatsApp.
Authorities have appealed to the public to report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station instead of resorting to violence.
