Police save woman, mistaken for child-lifter, being lynched by mob in Jharkhand’s Giridih
Timely action by police saved the woman from being lynched by a mob of over 200 that had assembled on the call of the child’s mother and three others. Devi was dragged and badly beaten before the police intervened and rescued her.
Playing with a child crying outside a bank branch in Giridih district landed Lilawati Devi, resident of Chujka village, in trouble as she was mistaken for a child-lifter and was thrashed by the locals.
However, timely action by Mufassil police station saved her from being lynched by a mob of over 200 that had assembled on the call of the child’s mother and three others. Devi was dragged and badly beaten before the police intervened and rescued her.
The incident occurred on Monday late afternoon outside Bank of India’s Baniahir branch when Lilawati, wife of Hiralal Das, picked up eight-month-old son of Lalita Devi, wife of Sanjay Das, resident of Akdoni village when she saw the child crying outside the bank branch, as there was no one to attend the child barring minor daughter of Lalita Devi. Both Lilawati and Lalita had been to the bank to draw money.
Lalita had reportedly kept her both children outside the bank branch. After completing the bank transactions when she came out of the bank branch she found her son missing from the spot.
Soon Lalita spotted her son in the lap of Lilawati who was just patting the child. Lalita thought that she was a child lifter and shouted for help.
A mob of over around 200 assembled and reportedly started beating Lilawati thinking that she was a child-lifter despite her repeatedly trying to prove her innocence.
Lilawati said, “I had been to the bank to withdraw money. However, I saw the baby crying with no one to attend to her. So I picked her up in my lap just to pat her. The child was lying outside the bank branch.”
As police received message of the incident, they rushed from Mufassil police station and tried to rescue Lilawati but people started pelting stone at the police as well and also damaged their vehicle.
Additional police force from Sadar police station was sent to spot that finally rescued Lilawati from the mob.
Mufassil police station in-charge Ratnesh Mohan Thakur said Lilawati was beaten brutally by the mob. She was taken to Sadar hospital for medical examination and after that she was handed over to the family members.
“We have detained two persons including Sarita Devi, a local lady, and Sanjay Das, husband of Lalita. Case has been instituted against 15 named persons and 200 unnamed persons in this connection under various sections including 147,148,149,314,327, 354, 353 and 307 of the IPC,” said Thakur.