Soro: A day after DGP RP Sharma rubbished rumours of child-lifting gangs and called upon people “not to believe in fake viral videos” on Whatsapp and social media sites, a woman suspected of being a ‘child-lifter’ was thrashed black and blue at Balang Square on Soro-Anandapur Road in Balasore district Monday.
A video of the woman being thrashed and stripped went viral on Whatsapp. The police reached the spot and rescued her. She was admitted to a hospital for treatment.
A day ago, the DGP had requested people to verify and report any suspicious person to the local police instead of taking law into their hands. A viral video claimed that gangs from neighbouring Bihar have arrived in the state to kidnap children. A kidney and eye theft racket was involved in the act, it was claimed.
The miscreants extracted the eyes and kidneys of children to be sold at premium rates, the viral videos claimed.
Police made it clear that there are no such gangs under the police scanner so far. The news that gangs arrived from the neighbouring states was totally false.
A day ago, incidents of mob attacks in which at least 12-15 innocents mistaken as child-lifters were reported from Ganjam, Rayagada and Nayagarh districts.