Mandla (Madhya Pradesh): A minor was brutally beaten by a mob in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla on suspicion of child theft. He was taken to hospital for treatment, however he died in a road accident while leaving the premise.
The incident occurred on February 26 in Barkheda village, under the Bichhiya police station area.
According to reports, rumors of a child thief had spread in Barkheda village. Meanwhile, villagers caught an unidentified minor, tied him up, and began beating him, accusing him of being a child thief.
The minor kept on crying and screaming, while people continued assaulting him.
Police rescued the minor
Upon receiving information from the village head, Bichhiya police arrived at the scene and rescued the boy from the enraged villagers and sent him to the hospital for treatment.
Preliminary investigations suggested that the boy was a person with an intellectual disability. However, his identity could not be asserted.
Missing During Treatment, Died in Accident
According to reports, later during the boy's treatment, he fled the hospital and subsequently died in a road accident. Police have conducted a postmortem and performed his last rites. The boy has not yet been identified, and a search is underway for his family.
Police launched a probe to identify the accused present in the crowd while the child was lynched and have assured legal action against those involved.
Woman rumoured as 'Child Thief' assaulted
In an another incident, a woman was brutally dragged, thrashed and harassed by a mob in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur on suspicion of child theft on Monday.
According to eyewitnesses, the woman had come to sell vine leaves as usual when some people suspected her of being a child thief. The rumour quickly spread, and a mob surrounded her without knowing the truth.
Enraged mob, dragged, thrashed and brutally assaulted her. Later, upon receiving information, police arrived at the scene, bringing the situation under control.
Such extreme level of violence against minors and woman without any concrete proof exposes the brutality of mobocracy.
