Gumla: The Gumla administration on Tuesday launched a campaign to create awareness about child-lifting rumours by making public address announcements at various places in the district.The move comes after a reportedly mentally unstable 50-year-old woman was allegedly lynched by a mob over child-lifting rumours in Guriatarn village under Bishunpur police station limits on Sunday night.Police arrested four persons in connection with the incident and registered a case against 20 people, including the four accused. The accused, Tentra Oraon, 45, Birsai Oraon, 45, Shiblal Oraon, 50, and Etwa Oraon, 60, were sent to custody on Tuesday, police said. OC of Bishunpur police station, Arjun Ram Yadav, said, “Raids are continuing to nab the other accused.”The Gumla administration swung into action and initiated an awareness drive on Tuesday asking residents not to pay heed to any rumour without proper verification and to maintain peace and order.“For the last few days, rumours and misleading information, and news of missing children and child-lifting, were circulated on media platforms. However, during verification and probe at the administrative level, such rumours and information were found to be fake. People should refrain from spreading such rumours and false information and should not take the law into their hands. Instead, they should inform the local police station or district control room,” said an official.Making an appeal to residents on X, deputy commissioner Prerna Dixit said, “Be cautious of child-lifting rumours. People are being made aware of this through miking at the district’s public places. Do not trust any misleading information, and in case of any suspicious activity, inform the local police station and district control room.”
