A few from the crowd even stated that she could be a man wearing a woman’s dress. Representational image | Photo Credit: BCCL

Madurai: The entire country has been witnessing a rise of mob lynching incidents of late and the rumour about child lifters entering villages has not yet died down. Police seem to have no clue on how to handle this as the fake news and rumour mongering on social media end up in violent incidents. A similar case of mob violence was reported from Madurai’s Melur on Thursday.

A crowd gathered around a woman wearing night gown with short hair after a few women suspected her to be a child lifter as she was carrying a bag of biscuits. A few from the crowd even stated that she could be a man wearing a woman’s dress.

The situation could have turned fatal for the victim as the crowd had attacked her and tied her hands but thankfully cops were informed and quickly rescued her. She was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment to her wounds. The matter is a stark reminder of the recent Dhule mob lynching in Maharashtra where five people were brutally killed by a blood thristy mob.

Also Read: Dhule mob lynching: Cops say victims came from peaceful Nath Gosavi community, were not a threat

To make matters even more bizarre, even before cops could find out the truth, a temple speaker was used to announce that two people had entered Melur village to kidnap children and that one of them has been caught and handed over to the police.

The announcement also warned parents to be careful and be vigil until the second person was captured. Shocked cops didn’t even know how to react to the announcement and said that they were investigating the matter and the announcement was misleading.

Moreover, doctors treating the victim at the hospital claimed that upon initial inspection, it looked like the woman was mentally ill and perhaps abandoned by the family.

Must Watch: Centre Issues Advisory On Mob Lynching; Urges States To Keep A Close Watch