Three persons were thrashed on suspicion of child-lifting in separate incidents in parts of Uttar Pradesh, the police said on Tuesday.
In one of the incidents at Bahraich village, an irate mob thrashed a 25-year-old man, tried to take him hostage and hurled bricks at a police party that had gone to rescue the victim following rumours of child-lifting.
The incident took place at Jamvapur village under the Ramgaon police station on Monday night when Balak Ram in an inebriated condition lost his way to his house in the adjoining village and was taken for a child-lifter, SP Gaurav Grover said.
The police team reached the spot and rescued the man.
When the police party was returning after rescuing him, the mob hurled bricks at it, Mr. Grover said, adding that they also tried to capture the victim.
Three policemen, including a sub-inspector, were injured, the officer said.
An attempt was also made to spread rumours linking the incident with child-lifting through social media on Monday night and Tuesday morning but the police found no truth in it following an inquiry.
A case had been registered under Section 151 of the IPC and 21 people have been arrested so far while efforts are on to identify others in the video of the incident, the SP said.
In two other incidents in the Gopiganj police station area of Bhadohi on Tuesday, two people were thrashed.
In the first incident, labourer Shiv Kumar Yadav was beaten up at Beraspur village and was handed over to the police, SP Ram Badan Singh said.
In a similar incident, one Babbu Singh was beaten up at Sarai Jagdish when he tried to drag a seven-year-old-girl, Mr. Singh said.
The police, which immediately rushed to the spot, managed to rescue Babbu Singh, who was admitted to a hospital for treatment.
The SP said Shiv Kumar was a labourer, who was going towards another village, while Babbu Singh was of unsound mind.
The officer has appealed to people not to pay any heed to rumours and hand over any suspicious person to police, instead of taking the law in their hands.