Jharkhand lynching: Police detain 20 suspects, issue WhatsApp number for info
A three-member team primarily relied on CCTV footage of the violence and pictures clicked on mobile phones to identify the culprits.
The police on Sunday detained 20 suspects allegedly involved in the Kolhan lynching and sparking tension in Jamshedpur on Saturday.
The situation was under control on Sunday in Jamshedpur city and other parts of Kolhan, with no cases of violence or clashes between groups reported.
A three-member team led by inspector general (operations) Ashish Batra primarily relied on CCTV footage of the violence and pictures clicked on mobile phones to identify the culprits, sources said.
Furious villagers killed seven people on Thursday after a WhatsApp message cautioning them of child-lifters prowling the Kolhan region went viral.
On Friday and Saturday, the news of the killings spread like wildfire in Jamshedpur, causing tension and lawlessness on the streets, with agitators pelting stones on security forces and shops remaining shut.
“Six companies of Jharkhand State Police and two companies of Rapid Action Force have been deployed on the streets. Twenty have been detained and the situation is under control,” Batra said.
He said rumours about child-lifting sparked the mob violence in bordering areas of East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan, but anti-social elements took advantage of the situation and created tension in Mango and Dhatkidih localities of Jamshedpur city.
Four men from a particular community were lynched to death on Thursday by villagers for suspected child-lifting. A few members of the minority community had mistaken the mob rage as a communal clash, which added to the disharmony in the city.
Section 144 was imposed in areas under Mango, Azadnagar, Olidih and MGM police stations from 10 pm on Saturday to 6 am on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the police have issued a WhatsApp number seeking information from general public on rumours and updates from across the city.
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