Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on August 28 demanded stringent action against those accused in mob lynching incidents. Mayawati took to Twitter to claim that the mob lynchings were now also being perpetrated against innocent women in the state. She further added that it would be better if the state government takes action against the anti-social elements involved in such incidents.

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Violence based on a fake video

The statement from the BSP supremo came just hours after the latest incident from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh where a woman was thrashed by a mob at Ramlila Ground on suspicion of child lifting. The police reached the spot and found that the victim had come with her own grandson to Loni Bazar but the mob thrashed her on the basis of false information. The woman was attacked by the mob after watching a fake video that went viral on various social media platforms. 

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Cases of mob lynching

Another horrifying incident of mob violence came to light from Shamli in Uttar Pradesh where a group of five women was beaten up by a mob on suspicion of belonging to a child theft gang. 

“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.

Similarly, a man was killed and his brother was injured after a group thrashed them over rumours that they were on the prowl to kidnap children in western UP's Sambhal. The two brothers were taking their nephew, who was suffering from an illness, to a doctor when the group confronted them and accused them of kidnapping the boy.

Mob lynching cases have seen an increase in western UP. At least 12 such cases of mob assault on people accused of kidnapping have been reported from Bulandshahr district in the last month. The state police said they are taking action in all cases to stop the rumours and attacks.

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"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 antisocial elements. So far 44 people have been arrested," senior police officer PV Ramasastry.

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(Inputs from ANI)