Mistaking him as child thief, mob lynches Hyderabad man in Bidar

HYDERABAD: In continuation to the spree of lynching incidents based on rumours spread on WhatsApp, a city-based man was lynched to death and his three friends received critical injuries after a mob of at least 2,500 men attacked them at Murki village in Bidar of Karnataka. Four policemen also suffered critical injuries.The four Hyderabadi men were mistaken to be part of child-kidnappers gang on the prowl as spread via the instant messaging app. 

While Md Azam succumbed to his injuries in a Bidar hospital, his friends Tahala Ismail, Md Saleem, and Md Basheer were injured.  Except Basheer who is a Bidar resident, the other two were brought back to the city for treatment.  As many as 32 persons from the village have been arrested in connection with the mob violence. The incident occurred on Friday wen the group, while on their visit to a local lake, halted for lunch in Adhikera on the outskirts of Bidar.

The incident took place when Ismail, who returned from Qatar recently, offered chocolates to school girls there. But, the locals mistook them for child-lifters. Though Basheer tried to pacify the mob, but his all attempts went unheeded. The mobs’ suspicion further intensified as they found the car to have a temporary registration number. In the meantime, a local shot a video and shared it to others through a WhatsApp group called ‘Murki brothers’. The locals started thrashing them and out of panic, the four fled from the spot in the car.  

But, while travelling from Adhiker to Murki, the speeding car at 120 kmph, smashed a two-wheeler injuring the rider. The car also toppled and fell inside a pit. After the car fell in a pit, another group of locals identified them based on WhatsApp video shared and started pelting stones. Soon, more locals from adjoining villages joined the mob. Meanwhile, four constables and an assistant SI, who were deputed to bring the situation under control, were also assaulted by the mob.