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Child lifting rumours: Mentally challenged woman attacked in Ghaziabad, police warn residents against spreading fake news
The incident reported on Wednesday was the latest in a series of mob attacks motivated by fake news on child lifter gangs doing the round of social media, triggering widespread rumours and panic.
A mentally challenged woman and a 42-year-old man were attacked by local residents at Puja Colony in Loni on the suspicion of them being child lifters.The incident reported on Wednesday was the latest in a series of mob attacks motivated by fake news on child lifter gangs doing the round of social media, triggering widespread rumours and panic.
The two victims, identified as Gayatri and Ashfaq, were saved by the local police.
According to police, rumours have spread thick and fast in several districts of western UP, including Ghaziabad, Hapur, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat and Meerut.
UP director general of police (DGP) OP Singh said on Wednesday that 90 people had been arrested for mob violence on suspicion of child theft across the state in the last few days. “A total of 46 incidents were reported in which one person was killed and 29 injured. The first case was registered in early August and 32 FIRs have been filed so far in these matters,” said Singh.
The DGP has directed police chiefs of all the districts to ensure that chargesheets in every such incident is filed within 15 days.
Meanwhile, one person was arrested in Noida on Wednesday evening for reporting a false child lifting incident in Sector 135 while in Ghaziabad the police have been making loudspeaker announcements to warn people against spreading rumours and alerting them against fake news.
“We have directed officials to file FIRs in cases where people are attacked by people on suspicion of child lifting. Messages and videos on social media are spreading rumours. We are making loudspeaker announcements to tell people not to resort to attacks and get swayed by such rumours,” said Neeraj Kumar Jadaun, superintendent of police (rural).
On Tuesday, a 50-year-old woman who had come along with her one-and-half year-old grandson was attacked by locals near Ramlila Ground in Loni. The residents nabbed her alleging that the colour of her skin did not match with that of the boy, which, according to them, established that the woman was not related to the boy. Police investigation showed that the woman was a native of Johripur and had been visiting the local market to purchase household items.
“We are lodging FIRs against attackers in the sections pertaining to rioting and causing hurt . Our teams are also tracking the social media to trace people spreading rumours,” Jadaun added.
The Ghaziabad police had arrested four people on Sunday for allegedly attacking two people in Akash Nagar locality. The victims had been seeking donation for an orphanage. The FIR was filed at Masuri police station.
In Noida, Shwetabh Pandey, Circle Officer Noida I, said police received a call from a person that some people were taking away three children in a car in Sector 135. “A police team reached the spot and found the allegations false. The children were with their mother. There was no abduction bid,” he said.
Pandey said police have registered a case against the complainant, Sushil, for spreading rumours and arrested him. A native of Rajasthan, Sushil lived at a rented accommodation in Wajidpur village.
Expressway Police station has registered a case against him under Sections 116 (abetment of offence punishable with imprisonment-if offence be not committed), Section 193 (punishment for false evidence) and Section 200 (using as true such declaration knowing it to be false) of IPC. He was produced in court and sent to judicial custody.
