Mumbai women mistake unstable man for braid cutter, trap him in net, thrash him unconscious

The unidentified man was admitted to a mental hospital

A mob of women on Monday thrashed an unidentified man, who is mentally-challenged, with lathis on the suspicion that he was responsible for braid-chopping incidents in Mira and Bhayander near Mumbai. He was admitted to a hospital.

The man was trapped in a fishing before being thrashed.

The incident took place near a community handpump at Chena village in Mira Road in the evening.

“While filling water from the handpump, some women spotted the man. Panicked over man’s suspicious movements around the handpump, they trapped him in a fishing net and beat him up with lathis. They thought he was the mystery man responsible for cutting women’s hair at night. After learning about the incident, we reached the spot and rescued him,” said senior inspector Vilas Sanap of Kashimira police.

The police took him to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Civic hospital where doctors referred him to Thane Mental Hospital. On his way to the mental hospital, he reportedly smashed the widow pan of the police jeep.

“The man is mentally challenged and has been admitted to Thane Mental hospital,” said a doctor.

Meanwhile, the women have filed a counter complaint, alleging that the man misbehaved with them.

Mira and Bhayander have witnessed several incidents in which women and girls woke up with their braids or tufts of hair chopped since August. The late night capers have frightened residents.