Hazaribag: A youth was allegedly thrashed by villagers after being suspected of being a child lifter at Barkanagango village under Barkatha block in Hazaribag district on Thursday evening. According to police, Raju Kumar, a resident of Barkathadih, went to meet his friend Ajit Sharma at Barkanagango during Holi. Both reportedly work together in Gujarat and came home for the festival.Police said Raju asked a 13-year-old child for directions to his friend’s house after reaching the village. The child accompanied him on his motorcycle to show the way. The boy also stopped at that house for some refreshment. However, after some time, rumours allegedly spread in the village that a child was taken away by a suspected lifter.Later, when Raju was reportedly taking the child back to his home, some villagers intercepted him on the way and assaulted him, suspecting him of being a child lifter.Officer-in-charge of Barkattha police station Pankaj Kumar Sinduria condemned the incident and appealed to people not to believe or spread rumours. “The assault on the youth on suspicion of child lifting is highly condemnable. People should not pay attention to rumours and must inform the police if they notice any suspicious activity,” he said. He added that police are always available to assist the public and urged residents to verify facts before reacting to such claims.
