Kolkata: A woman was assaulted by the villagers of Kanthalberia area in Basanti in South 24-Parganas on Sunday while trying to steal a two-year-old child.
Though she was admitted to a hospital by the police after being manhandled, the woman was arrested after getting discharged.
According to sources, on Sunday morning, a resident of Kanthalberia, identified as Shahanara Molla, was busy with her household work while her two-year-old child was playing in front of the residence.
Suddenly, Mola spotted that her child was missing. While she was trying to find the child, some villagers spotted the child with another woman. When the unknown woman, who was later identified as Manowara Gazi of the Jibantala area, was confronted by the villagers, she failed to provide any satisfactory answer.
As a consequence, Gazi was tied to a tree and was assaulted. After a while, the police arrived and rescued the woman and took her to the hospital.
Investigators are investigating whether the accused woman is involved in any child trafficking ring. Cops are also trying to find out whether the woman had committed any such crime earlier.