Chennai: Mistaken for child kidnapper, 65-year-old woman beaten to death

Chennai: In yet another case of mob attack on people mistaken for child-lifters, a 65-year-old woman, wife of an ex-serviceman, was lynched by over 500 villagers at Athimoor village near Polur in Tiruvannamalai district on Wednesday.

While Rukmani died on the spot, her four relatives, two of them Malaysian nationals, sustained grievous injuries in the mob fury that saw their car upturned. Visuals of the mad attack on the hapless family went viral sending shock waves.

The mob pulled out the five wailing people from the car and beat them up, some of them kicking the men fallen down with clothes torn. The mob rage did not subside even after the attackers saw Rukmani dead and it did not abate though some policemen arrived there and pleaded for mercy.

According to police, Chandrasekharan, 34, of Sathanur and Mohankumar, 34, hailing from Malaysia had visited their relative Rukmani, 65, of Old Pallavaram (Chennai) and were staying with her family. 

On the advice of an astrologer, they along with Rukmani and her relative Mohan Kumar had gone to worship their family deity, Sri Mariyamman temple near Athimoor village, located at the foothills of Javadhu Hill, in a car. While returning, driver Gajendran lost the way and stopped to seek directions from a local named Siva. 

While coming from the place, they noticed a girl playing near the place. They gave chocolates to the girl. Noticing this, Siva suspected them to be child traffickers/kidnappers and sounded an alert. Seeing a large number of people rushing to the car, the group attempted to escape from the place.

Siva also alerted others local residents en route. Immediately, over 500 persons gathered at a distance and intercepted the car. Without listening to Rukmani and others, the group pulled them out of the car and started attacking them indiscriminately. The car was toppled and mob lynched them.

Rukmani succumbed to injuries on the spot. The group stripped others and assaulted them. The video of the incident went viral on the social media.
The police rushed to the spot and faced difficulties in rescuing them. 

Tiruvannamalai district superintendent of police R. Ponni said Rukmani died on the spot. Chandrasekharan, and Mohankumar, Venkatesan, and Gajendran, were rushed the Government Tiruvannamalai Medical College and Hospital. Subsequently Gajendran was shifted to a private medical college in Vellore and three others were referred to the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital at Adukkamparai.

The police registered a case against 200 persons and secured over 40 persons. The SP has formed three special teams to nab the other accused. Speaking to reporters, SP said the district has not recorded any incident involving kidnap of children.

Speaking to reporters, Rukmani's son Gopinathan said, “it was unfortunate that without verifying facts,  local residents attacked them. My mother was killed due to a grave blunder committed by the mob”.