Police allay Hill child -lift fears- ALL A RUMOUR

MOHAN PRASAD, SNS, 26 AUGUST 2019, KURSEONG: From Darjeeling to Kurseong, from Mirik to Kalimpong, the entire Hills are on the edge after rumours of child-lifters being on the loose went viral on social networking sites and messenger applications.

Alleged incidents and purported video dips of people beating up suspects that have gone viral in the Internet have prompted the police, administration officials and party leaders in the Hills to issue clarifications and launch awareness drives. Police say that videos are fake and that the allegations have no base. while they add they have not received any complaint from anyone over any child-lifting incident.

"Panic has spread across the Hills after rumours did the rounds that child-lifters are active at several areas." said Pemendra Gurung, the Kurseong sub-division president of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha's youth wing.

The situation in the Hills prompted Mr Gurung to meet the Kurseong Sub-divisional Police Officer, Pinaki Dutta and see if the alleged incidents and videos were real.

Meanwhile, the Darjeeling Police have started making announcements in loud-speakers, urging the people not to believe in such rumours.

"Several videos and messages are circulating in the Internet. which say that several child-lifters are already in the Hills and that they knock the doors at houses in the night. People have also been sharing a video, in which a man is being thrashed by the public." Mr Gurung said.

According to him, the situation has gone so worrisome that people in some villages and tea gardens near Kurseong have started to doubt all new faces that they see in their locality.

SDPO, Mr Dutta, said they have not received any complaint or FIR regarding child-lifters or "related matters" so far.

"These are rumours. If anyone notices anything suspicious, instead of assaulting someone, people should contact the police" he said.

Mr Gurung also said that people should stop spreading false information and stop sharing videos and messages without first checking their authenticity.

"If anyone sees or notices any suspicious activity in their locality, they should first gently handle him/her and inform the local police.

People should not take the law in their own hands," he said. According to Mr Gurung, police have told him that they were ready to organise mass awareness programmes at different villages and tea estates.

As the videos and messages went viral, Kalimpong Superintendent of Police Surya Pratap Yaday said there have been no incident of child-lifting, no reports of people being beaten up or people taking out kidneys in Kalimpong district. "All these are rumours, nothing else. I also request people using social media to not spread such rumours." Mr Yaday said, adding that they would be bound to take legal action against anyone found doing so. He also said that patrolling has been intensified and people have been asked to report to the police any suspect or suspicious activity

It may be recalled here that several incidents of people beating up alleged child-Lifters have been reported in the Dooars recently, while one man was lynched in  Jalpaiguri on the same suspicion.