A day after ‘child abductor’ was caught, woman rescued from lynching in Mumbai

A day after a woman was caught allegedly trying to snatch a four-year-old girl walking with her father in Mankhurd, the police rescued a 30-year-old woman in the same area from a mob they said may have lynched her, believing her to be a child abductor.

A police constable sustained injuries and a police van was vandalised by the mob in the process. The police have detained a woman who claims to be a social worker along with a few others in connection with the incident.

On Sunday, another 30-year-old woman was caught while allegedly trying to snatch a girl who was walking with her father at PNG Colony around 10pm.

The police said the two cases are unrelated to each other.

Officers said local residents in Mankhurd spotted a “suspicious” woman loitering in the area around 4pm. “The woman was seated when a few other women started to question her as she was not from the area,” said Nitin Bobade, senior police inspector, Mankhurd police station. “She was beaten on the suspicion of being a child lifter”.

Shortly after the assault began, the police were informed. The police said constable Sandeep Thakur rescued the woman from the clutches of the furious mob and escorted her to a nearby mobile phone shop before closing its shutter. “The mob was banging on the shutter. They broke the glasses of the police vehicle with stones as the woman was being taken to the police station,” said Bobade.

Thakur sustained injuries in his ribs after he was hit by a stone, the police said. “The rescued woman is speaking in Bengali. We are questioning her with the help of a translator,” said Bobade.

On Sunday night, a 30-year-old woman was caught while trying to grab a girl walking with her father at PNG Colony. “The accused has two sons and lives with her husband in Mankhurd. She does not have a criminal record. We suspect she was intoxicated,” Bobade said.

Police sources said they suspect the accused may have tried to grab the girl as she is fond of children.

Mankhurd police have registered a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 363 (kidnapping) against her.

First Published: Sep 24, 2019 00:22 IST