A 45-year-old mentally challenged man was beaten to death in Jharkhand’s Chatra district, while six women from Uttar Pradesh were assaulted in Bokaro over suspicions of child lifting, police confirmed on Tuesday.
The deceased, Rambali Rajwar of Barwatoli in Ramgarh district, was allegedly thrashed by villagers in the Piparwar police station area on Sunday night. He later succumbed to injuries at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi on Monday.
Clear case of mob lynching
Piparwar police station in-charge Abhay Kumar termed the incident a “clear case of mob lynching”. An FIR is being registered, and investigations are underway to identify those involved. No arrests have been made so far.
Family members said Rajwar had been mentally unwell and had left home without informing anyone a day before the incident. Villagers reportedly mistook him for a child lifter and assaulted him brutally before police rescued and hospitalised him.
Six women assaulted in Bokaro
In a separate incident in Bokaro’s Gandhi Nagar area, six women from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh were allegedly assaulted by locals near the Damodar River bridge after being suspected of child lifting. Police later rescued them and took them to the Mahila police station.
Authorities clarified that the women had travelled for medical treatment and were falsely targeted.
Administration cracks down on rumours
Amid rising rumours of child theft, Bokaro Deputy Commissioner Ajay Nath Jha stated that over 300 social media accounts have been identified for allegedly spreading misinformation. He directed strict legal action after verification and appealed to citizens not to forward unverified messages.
The incidents have intensified political debate, with opposition leaders raising concerns over child safety and trafficking. Police have urged the public to remain calm and rely only on verified information to prevent further violence.