3, mistaken for kidnappers, face mob fury in Poonch

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 9/17/2012 1:02:49 AM

POONCH, Sept 16: Three persons mistaken for child kidnappers were badly beaten up by an irate mob this evening in Mandi tehsil of Poonch district.
It was the timely intervention by the police that rescued the trio from the mob fury.
According to the police, the trio identified as Kifayatullah son of Kudratullah, Mohammed Aftab son of Nazir Mohammed and Mohammed Imran son of Mohammed Taj, all residents of Manjakote of Rajouri district this evening had gone to the village Adai in the jurisdiction of Loran Police post of Mandi tehsil.
“They had to visit one Khadim Hussain, son of Mohammed Shafi resident of Adai village. Since they could not locate his house, they asked a little girl about him. However, the child got scared and without listening to them ran away raising alarm. This prompted the locals along with the child’s family to follow the trio which, seeing the mob menacingly moving towards them, fled the village,” the police said.
However, when they reached Mandi, they were surrounded by an irate mob already sounded by the locals of Adai village.
As per eye-witnesses’ account, the mob did not listen to their pleas that they were not child kidnappers and started beating up.
“Some in the mob were also carrying 12 bore rifle. Yet it was the timely intervention by the police which prevented the situation from taking an ugly turn. In fact the trio in a bid to save itself from mob’s fury had started running towards the police post and they were saved by the police,” eye-witnesses said.
The police had taken cognizance of the incident but so far no formal complaint was lodged against anyone. The victims were still under the protection of Mandi police, till last reports poured in.
SSP Poonch Shamsher Chowdhary, when contacted, told KTNS that the police was verifying into the entire incident. “So far there was no incident of child kidnapping reported to us in the last couple of days. So we presume it as a mere rumour. But still we’re verifying antecedents of those three persons as well, besides trying to find out the origin of rumour. Presently those persons are safe with us.”
According to sources, there was no apparent reason for the mob to mistake them for child kidnappers but a rumour that a gang of child kidnappers was in the town after one or two teenagers went missing in suspicious circumstances in the recent past. The sources added even in case of their missing, no formal complaint was lodged with the concerned police stations/posts anywhere.
“It is believed that the teenagers fled away from their houses on their own will yet their act fuelled rumours about the gang of child kidnappers being active in the town,” the sources stated.

 

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