SAMBALPUR: In yet another incident of mob violence in the state, a 31-year-old migrant worker from Kerala was allegedly assaulted by a group of locals on suspicion of being a child-lifter at Dhobapada near Badabazar under Khetrajpur police limits here on Sunday night.
The victim was identified as Vishnu Kais, a native of Kerala. The incident comes days after two NGO fellows including a woman were brutally assaulted by villagers after being mistaken for child kidnappers in Rayagada district.
Sources said Vishnu was working at a welding workshop in Bargarh district for the past few months. He had recently arrived in Sambalpur in search of employment opportunities.
On Sunday night, the migrant workers was reportedly roaming near a park at Dhobapada when some local youths approached him and questioned him about his identity and place of residence. Being unfamiliar with Odia and Sambalpuri languages, he failed to understand their queries or respond appropriately.
His inability to communicate led to suspicion among the youths, who reportedly accused him of being a child-lifter. Soon, a crowd gathered at the spot and allegedly assaulted him.
On receiving information about the incident, Khetrajpur police rushed to the spot and rescued Vishnu from the mob. He was subsequently taken to a hospital for medical examination and treatment.
Police later contacted one of Vishnu’s friends residing in Bargarh and verified his identity and background. Preliminary inquiry revealed that he had no criminal antecedents and was merely searching for work in the city.
Additional SP Ajay Mishra said three persons have been detained in connection with the incident and are being interrogated. Efforts are on to identify and trace the other miscreants involved in the incident. The migrant workers has been sent back to his hometown through train after primary medical attention. His condition was stable, he added.
Incidentally, the incident took place barely a day after the Sital Sasthi festival during which around 80 platoons of police force had been deployed across the city to maintain law and order.
On June 16, a woman and her male colleague, both in their early 20s and pursuing a fellowship with an NGO, were travelling to Thuamul Rampur block in Kalahandi when they were assaulted by a mob near Kandulguda village under Kalyansinghpur police limits. The duo was targeted by the villagers after being mistaken for child-lifters as they were carrying two backpacks and speaking in Hindi.