Aurangabad Mob Attacks: Woman, 2 Men Thrashed in Separate Cases

There has been a recent spurt in mob attacks over rumours of child kidnapping or theft across India.

Three people, including a woman, sustained injuries after being beaten up by mobs that were triggered by rumours in two separate cases in Aurangabad district in Maharashtra.

A woman, identified as Puja Gavai from Ranjangaon village, was assaulted by a mob in Avinash Colony, Valuj in Aurangabad on allegations of being a child lifter, ANI reports. She was looking for a house on rent in the area.

The act was caught on camera and the video made the rounds of social media on 15 June. Gavai was rescued by the local police, who recorded her statement as part of the probe into the attack and rushed her to the hospital.

Two Men Beaten On Suspicion of Theft

In a separate incident, two men fell victim to a mob attack on 15 June over suspicion of theft near Kasambari Dargah in Padegaon about 8 km from the city. The victims – Vikramnath Lalunath, 38, and Mohan Nath Bairaonath, 35, are residents of Madhya Pradesh. ANI quoted one of the men as saying:

We came to beg. And because it’s Ramzan, we dressed up in costumes of Laila and Majnu. Some people mistook us to be thieves.

Victim

Both of them earn their living by begging as ‘bahurupiya’ (who entertain people by assuming different roles). Suspecting them to be thieves or dacoits, the villagers thrashed them for nearly three hours.

Police official to PTI

The duo was rescued and rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital, PTI reports.

Both the incidents come in the backdrop of a recent spurt in mob attacks over suspicion of child kidnapping or theft. Earlier this week, on 8 June, two men were allegedly beaten to death and seven others were injured after a mob of villagers attacked them on suspicion of being robbers in Aurangabad district.

According to an official, some fake messages about the presence of a "gang of robbers" were doing rounds on WhatsApp – and the incident was a fallout of these rumours.

Cops Appeal for Peace Amid Attacks

The police have appealed to people, asking them to refrain from believing in rumours and taking the law into their hands.

Do not take law into your hands and keep away from spreading rumours, or else strict action would be taken against those found violating the law.

Chiranjeev Prasad, Aurangabad Commissioner of Police to PTI

He urged people to immediately contact the police control room if they find anyone suspicious. Superintendent of Police (Rural), Arti Singh, told PTI that there was no truth to the rumours being spread on social media.

There is no proof that gangs of thieves are on the prowl in rural parts of Aurangabad. So villagers should stop spreading rumours and sharing baseless posts on social media.

Arti Singh, SP (Rural)

With a view to curb the spread of rumours, Sub Divisional Magistrate Dr Sandipan Sanap had announced that the internet services would remain suspended between 7 pm and 2 am on 15-16 June, PTI reports. However, that order was later withdrawn.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)

The Quint has been tracking incidents of mob violence across India since 2015. More than 100 people have died because of mob lynching till date.