Lynch mob runs riot again

KOLKATA: The trend of lynching seems to be spreading like wildfire in the city. A week after a woman at Ahiripukur in Karaya was rescued from a lynch mob, a 35-year-old man was beaten to death in Narkeldanga area on Thursday night. While on Friday morning, a woman with injuries was rescued by police from the clutches of a mob at Canal East Road, in the evening another mob tried to lynch four youths in Karaya.
On Thursday night, 35-year-old Mohammad Almas was walking along the road near Raja Dinendra Street and Gas Street crossing when suddenly a group of people started accusing him of stealing a baby. Within moments, a crowd of 200 people gathered and started beating him up mercilessly. Police took him to the hospital where he was declared dead.
The victim's mother Jahanara said Almas, the sole earner of the family, had four children and made envelopes for a living. When police went to the spot on Friday, they could not find a single person who saw Almas stealing a baby. "Some people are deliberately spreading such rumours," said an officer.
Similar to Thursday's attack, a mob of 200-odd people at Canal East Road pounced on a beggar woman suspecting her to be a child lifter on Friday morning. Timely action by police saved her life. "There was no child with her," said an investigator. The woman was identified as Munni, a beggar who hails from Kamarhati, said police.
The same day in the evening, four youths were assaulted near Pakistan Bazar of Karaya. The crowd thought they were child lifters. Police rescued them and found that three of the youths were siblings. "While the three siblings are pavement dwellers near Esplanade, another youth is from Park Circus," said Debabrata Das, DC SED.
The men in uniform too had to bear the brunt of the locals when they came to save the youths. The mob turned violent and started hurling bricks at them. They also damaged police vehicles and a police kiosk. Rapid Action Force had to be deployed to control the situation.
Though police are clueless about the source of rumours of child lifting, they managed to arrest three teenagers in connection with the lynching of a woman in Topsia. Probe revealed the accused are drug addicts and had demanded money from the victim. When she refused, they started spreading rumours about the woman being a child lifter.
Like a wild fire the trend of lynching is spreading a portion of the city in an alarming manner. After Karaya -Tiljala- Topsia area of eastern Kolkata, mob lynched a person at Narkeldanga area on Thursday night. The victim has been identified as Mohammad Almas, a 35-year-old youth from Patowar Bagan Lane of Narkeldanga area. On next morning, once again a mob pounced on a woman but police managed to rescue her with serious injuries. And in the evening another strong mob attempted to lynch four youths at Karaya. This time they got a close save due to police intervention.
Police are still clueless who are behind the wild rumours of child lifting and pushing people to lynch. On Thursday night, Almas, a daily wage earner who earns by making envelopes was walking along the road near Raja Dinendra Street and Gas Street crossing. Suddenly a gang of people started shouting that the person was stealing a baby. Within moments a mob of 200 people gathered and lunched the person brutally. When police managed to rescue and took him to hospital, victim was dead. His mother Jahanara said that he was father of four kids and only earning member of the family. On Friday, when police went to the spot for probe, they could not find a person who saw Almas to steal a kid. "Some people deliberately spreading such rumours," said an investigating officer. Like Thursday night incident, in a similar manner a crowd of 200 people pounced on a beggar looking woman suspecting her a child lifter at Canal East road. " There was no child at all with the woman," said an investigator. However police was alert and managed to rescue the woman. Later police confirmed that the woman has been identified as Munni, hails from Kamarhati and a beggar.
In the evening, four youths were assaulted by a mob near Pakistan Bazar of Karaya in similar suspicion. Police rescued all four and found three of them as three siblings. " They are pavement dweller near Esplanade and another youth is from Park Circus area," said Debabrata Das, DC SED. Local turned violent and brick batted on police when cops rescued all four. Some police vehicles were damaged and Rapid Action Force was deployed.
In connection with the lynching of a woman at Topsia first lane, police arrested three teenagers. Probe revealed that all three youths are drug addicted and demanded money from the victim woman. When she did not agree, they started spread rumour that the woman was a child lifter. Police feel such factors also working behind this wild lynching trend.