Bengaluru: Mentally ill man tied to tree, beaten over kidnapping suspicion

Bengaluru: High drama prevailed in Kadugodi, Whitefield, when a mentally challenged man, suspected to be child lifter, was at the receiving end of mob fury.

Police said the local residents of Patalamma Layout tied him to the tree, thrashed him and even videographed the assault.

According to the police, the incident took place on Wednesday evening, around 4.30 pm.

The 25-year-old man, hailing from Odisha, had entered one of the houses in Patalamma Layout. People mistook him to be a child lifter and soon this rumour spread throughout the locality. The residents came out in large numbers to thrash the man.

A police official said that one of the residents told people that he had received a WhatsApp message stating that a gang of child lifters had entered their area and he might be among them. The people got worked up and thrashed him. The video went viral on social media.

After getting an alert Kadugodi police rushed to the spot and took the man to the police station. After interrogation, they learnt that he is mentally disturbed and admitted to hospital.

Abdul Ahad DCP (Whitefield) said no child lifters have come to city and no such incidents were reported in the city. One has to verify whatever videos they get on WhatsApp and in social media, he added.

The police have registered an FIR against people who had assaulted the man and instructions were given to Kadugodi inspector to initiate action against them.

Despite various awareness programmes advising people not to pay heed to rumours, such mob attacks over child lifting rumours continue to happen.

On August 27, a minor boy was beaten up by a mob on suspicion that he was a child lifter and later handed over to Hennur police.