Jharkhand is reeling from a spate of mob violence sparked by child kidnapping hoaxes, with more than 12 attacks on blameless citizens in the last five days alone. What begins as a whisper on social media spirals into life-threatening chaos, exposing deep societal fault lines.
Take Thursday in Ranchi’s Edlhatu neighborhood: An auto carrying two women, a man, and a wailing infant drew suspicion. A bystander’s cry of ‘child thieves!’ mobilized dozens, who blocked the path, yanked the occupants out, and pummeled them brutally.
Only prompt police action from Bariatu station prevented fatalities. The victims, now safe at the station, await clarity on the child’s status as inquiries proceed. No organized gang involvement has been detected yet.
Across Jharkhand, the toll mounts. In Dhanbad’s Baghmara on Wednesday, two women survived a mob assault. Chatra’s Piprawar saw a mentally challenged man killed days earlier. Bokaro reported six women beaten on February 16. Districts like Jamshedpur, Jamtara, Giridih, Ramgarh, Latehar, and Bokaro have all logged similar horrors.
Fueling this frenzy? Viral WhatsApp messages alleging rampant child theft rings. Jharkhand Police counters with a public plea: ‘Don’t play judge and jury. Report suspicions to us immediately.’
This crisis underscores the lethal power of rumors in the digital age. As investigations deepen, the focus shifts to community education and stricter social media oversight to shield innocents from vigilante rage.