COIMBATORE: A guestworker was thrashed twice by a mob suspecting he allegedly attempted to kidnap children in the city. Police rescued the person and found the worker did not have any intention to harm the kids and only helped them.
The guest worker, identified as Yogesh Kumar (28) from Uttar Pradesh, stayed in a rental room with his friend near the Coimbatore Railway Station. He was a cotton candy seller at Racecourse on weekends and across the city on weekdays.
On Friday, when he was at MGR Colony near Singanallur to sell the candy, he had noticed a boy aged 6 and his sister aged 4 stuck on the roadside, unable to cross the road. The youth had known them earlier and so helped them cross and to reach their house safely. Later, he offered candy to them.
Locals thought he was attempting to kidnap the girl and assaulted him. Singanallur police intervened, rescued Yogesh and held an inquiry with him when it was found he was innocent.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, at Racecourse Yogesh coincidentally saw the two children and their parents and greeted them. Seeing him, the mother thought he was following their children to abduct them and informed her husband. The husband began beating him alleging he was a kidnapper. Seeing this, passersby also began attacking him. Since he did not know Tamil, he could not explain his situation, said the police.
He was rescued by Racecourse police who took him to his room after inquiry. "Even after that, the young man distributed the few cotton candies he had to the children before leaving the place," said police.