BHOPAL: Driven to frenzy by a WhatsApp rumour on child lifters, a mob in Morwa region of Singrauli district lynched a young woman late Saturday night. Police had foiled four such lynchings over the past month in Singrauli and Balaghat districts by being a step ahead of social media rumours regarding organ mafia and child lifters.

In fact, it was in Morwa that a woman range officer and a forest guard were beaten mercilessly by a mob that took them for child lifters on June 29. Luckily, police could save their lives. This time, they were too late.

The woman, believed to be about 25 years old, is yet to be identified, Singrauli SP Riyaz Iqbal told TOI.

“It is basically the rumour that led to the killing. Primary findings suggest locals suspected her to be a child lifter and started questioning her. They then beat her to death,” he added.

The body was found near a nursery of the forest department close to Bhos village in Morwa region, about 40km from the district HQ and close to the UP border. A dozen suspects have been booked for the lynching.

“We have arrested nine of them. Police teams are out looking for the rest,” Riyaz said. “We are trying to identify the victim,” he added. Police have stepped up efforts to crack down on those spreading rumours.

