UP police refutes child lifting incidents, 44 held for spreading rumours

Sambhal: The Uttar Pradesh police on Wednesday assured that there is no issue of child lifting in the state, adding that so far 44 people have been arrested for allegedly indulging in violence and spreading fake news among the masses.

Speaking to ANI, Additional Director General (ADG) Law and Order, PV Ramasastry said that the rumours regarding the incidents of child lifting were spread by anti-social elements.

"In the last few days, people have been beaten up on accusations of child lifting by mobs in some districts. We analysed the incidents, there is no issue of child lifting, these are rumours spread by anti-social elements. So far 44 people have been arrested," he said.

The statement from the Uttar Pradesh police came hours after a man was allegedly killed and another got critically injured after they were beaten up by a mob on suspicion of child-lifting in Sambhal district.

On Tuesday, a woman was also thrashed by a mob in Loni area on suspicion of her being the child-lifter. During preliminary investigation, it was found that the victim was doing shopping with her grandson when people attacked her. The mob attacked the woman after a fake video of her lifting a child went viral on social media platforms.

A similar incident of mob violence took place in Shamli also. A group of five women who had come to sell their products were beaten up by the locals on suspicion of being child-lifters. "We belong to Gujarat and had come here for business purposes. But the locals started beating us. We are not child-lifters, " one of the five women had said while speaking to ANI.