Darjeeling: A 32-year-old was stoned to death on suspect of being a child lifter.
The incident occurred in Sukhani Bustee, Nagrakata in the Jalpaiguri district.
Rumors have been circulating in the tea belt since the past few days regarding child lifters.
The villagers had started keeping close watch specially after dark armed with batons, bow and arrows. Any unknown person were being questioned by them.
A youth used to frequent the Sukhani Bustee dressed as a woman asking for alms. On Monday, when he arrived he was stopped by some local residents.
At that time someone from among the crowd shouted out that the person was a child lifter. Immediately the mob went out of control and started hitting him.
He started running. The crowd started chasing him. As he neared the railway tracks the mob started pelting stones.
He fell to the ground.
They continued pelting stones at him.
Police rushed to the spot. They rescued the person and rushed him to the Sulkapara Primary Health Center where he was declared dead.
Debasish Chakraborty, Sub Divisional Police Officer, Mal, stated that though there has not been a single incident of abduction, some persons have been spreading rumors of child lifters.
"Some persons have been arrested in connection with spreading rumors and lynching this person. We have started a case. Patrolling in this area has been intensified. We are constantly telling people not to spread rumors," added Chakroborty.
The victim has not been identified yet. Some claim that he belonged to the third gender.