A 52-year-old beggar was allegedly beaten to death and three others were injured after a mob attacked them in Chandrayangutta, Hyderabad, suspecting them to be members of a child kidnapping gang over rumours on social media.
The man and three others were begging in the area when some youth pelted stones at them and beat them up around midnight 27 May, Chandrayangutta police inspector Y Prakash Reddy said.
He said police personnel rushed to the spot on receiving information and rescued them. The four men were later hospitalised.
“Chandraiah, a native of Mahabubnagar district, who was among the injured people, died undergoing treatment in the early hours of today. Based on video footage of the incident around 35 persons have been taken into custody,” the inspector said adding a case of murder has been registered against them.
The inspector also said the deceased was posing as a transgender while seeking alms.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Zone) V Satyanarayana said fake videos were circulated on social media showing chopping off the legs and hands of children.
On 22 May, a 42-year old man was beaten to death by a group of villagers after they caught hold of him from a mango farm on suspicion of being a thief in Chengal village under Bheemgal police station limits of Nizamabad district.
In a similar incident reported also on 22 May, an autorickshaw driver was beaten to death by a group of villagers in Jiyapally village under Bibinagar police station limits.
The accused in both the cases were arrested.
On 24 May, a Councillor and two others were arrested for allegedly beating up and injuring a 27-year old mentally challenged man over rumours that he was a "thief" at Badangpet near Hyderabad.
Terming the killings as unfortunate, the Telangana DGP has appealed to the public not to believe social media rumours on kidnappers and burglars and said they were all false.
Warning general public not to take law into their hands and cause harm to innocent individuals, the Telangana Police chief further said stern action would be initiated against those spreading false news and forwarding such false messages on social media.
Apart from the two killings, there have been reports about groups of people beating up individuals in some more parts of the state, after suspecting them to be members of criminal gangs.
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