Incidents of mob attacks on suspect of child lifting continues in Dooars

One of the victims

Wepen, July 25, 2019: Assault and attempts to lynch continue in North Bengal, specially Dooars on suspect of child lifters. On the heels of the lynching of a 32 year old on July 22, there have been a number of incidents in Dooars.

7 persons became victims of mob violence in Madarihat on Wednesday. 6 youths were selling cookware in a Maruti van at Salmandal Chowpathy, Madarihat in the Alipurduar district. Suddenly local residents without any provocation attacked the 6 and the driver of the vehicle.

The 7 got down from the vehicle and began to flee. The mob started chasing them shouting that they were child lifters. While three managed to flee, the rest were caught by the mob. They were badly beaten up by the mob.

Later they were rescued by the Madarihat police and taken to the Hospital. The mob then vandalized the vehicle and even looted the cookware of a renowned company from the van.

One of the injured declared that despite showing identity cards they were beaten up. The 6 are residents of Medinipore. They stay in a rented house in Dhupguri and sell cookware for a living.

Nagendra Tripathi, Superintendent of Police, Alipurduar stated "We have been constantly spreading awareness they have turned a deaf ear. We will identify the assailants and the rumor mongers and take stringent action. No one will be spared."

Incidentally on July 22, a 32 year old was stoned to death on suspect of being a child lifter. The incident occurred in Sukhani Bustee, Nagrakata in the Jalpaiguri district. He used to frequent the area to beg.

On July 23 police arrested 6 persons in connection with the incident. They are in judicial custody.

On the same day a deaf and dumb woman was assaulted by a mob at Jithi Tea Estate on the Indo-Bhutan border. The woman was rescued by the police and is presently ailing at the Mal Super Speciality Hospital.

On Tuesday an administrative meeting was held at the Nagrakata BDO office between administrative top brass and representatives of different associations, organizations and political parties. The district administration requested all present to spread awareness against spreading rumors and engaging in such crimes.

On July 23 in another incident a man was beaten up in the Purba Bholardabri village under the Alipurduar police station on suspect of being a child lifter. He was accompanied by his son when he was beaten up.

The two were rescued by the police and later identified as Kartik Basfore of Bihar. After having rescued them from the mob the police had helped them board the train bound for New Jalpaiguri from Alipurduar.

At the Dalgaon station the man was again beaten up on suspect of being a child lifter. This time the Railway Protection Force rescued him and handed them over to the police. However the child was not with him and was missing. The police then had launched a search for the missing child.

The kid was later recovered by the Siliguri GRP. The kid was handed over to Basfora's family members who arrived from Mazaffarpur, Bihar. They claimed that Kartik was mentally destable and was addicted to marijuana.

"We have spoken to the Bihar police and to his family members. We has been confirmed that Kartik is not a child lifter and the child accompanying him is his own" stated Tripathi. The man is undergoing treatment and once he has recovered he will be handed over to his family members.

(Source & Courtesy: We pen- http://www.wepen.in/incidents-of-mob-attacks-on-suspect-of-child-lifting-continue-in-dooars/)