JEYPORE/ BHUBANESWAR: Rayagada police on Tuesday arrested 14 persons of Ambadola village for attacking four innocents on child lifting suspicion a few days back in the district.The four, which included a woman and a juvenile, had to be hospitalised after being thrashed by mobs. The attacks were triggered by rumours of child kidnappers prowling in the district that went viral on social media. On the day, additional police force was also rushed to Pottangi following the attack on three outsiders on Monday night. Suspecting them to be child lifters, tribal villagers had attacked four persons of Bihar who were on their way to Sunki in Andhra Pradesh from Pukali in a car. While three of them sustained injuries, the remaining one managed to escape. Though nothing incriminating was found in the car, the locals even set the vehicle on fire.
Sources said police have launched a manhunt for 30 persons involved in Monday night’s attack. Koraput SP KV Singh also took stock of the situation which continues to be tense but under control in Pottangi.
The victims are undergoing treatment in the district headquarters hospital in Koraput.
Meanwhile, Odisha Police issued an advisory to check mob attacks on innocents over suspicion of child theft in several parts of the State. DGP Dr RP Sharma issued the advisory after several such incidents were reported from Rayagada, Ganjam, Koraput, Balasore, Kendrapara and Nayagarh districts despite his appeal to people against believing the rumours.
Stating that police have identified some persons who are spreading rumours on social media, Sharma said the mischief mongers will be arrested soon. Stringent action will be taken against those who spread such rumours in any medium including Facebook and WhatsApp, he said.
In the seven-point advisory, the DGP urged people to inform police if they come across any suspicious character or non-Odias roaming in their localities. Dismissing the rumours that kidnappers are targeting children to sell their livers, kidneys and eyes, the DGP clarified that these body parts can only be retrieved from a human under the guidance of doctors and should be preserved scientifically. Such messages doing the rounds on social media are fake, he said.The police chief said no such gang is operating in the State as not a single incident of child theft has been reported so far.