New Delhi, Aug 30 (TIWN) Close on the heels of a mob frenzy over bovine love that saw many a lives lost due to lynching by cow vigilantes, a new trend has emerged across states over the last few months, where mass hysteria is created over rumours of child abduction.

Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar have all reported incidents of varying degrees and numbers, where the hapless victims have ranged from telecom engineers to even policemen in plain clothes, besides of course the nameless-faceless poor man searching for food from among the scraps.  Such incidents were first reported last year from the Telugu states, where various WhatsApp groups triggered these rumours, leading to violence.  Any person lurking in the neighbourhood or vicinity in the dark is attacked by these mob fed on the social media by various groups. 

Uttar Pradesh alone reported over 20 such incidents in the past 72 hours.  A man was killed after being thrashed brutally by a mob on August 27 in Sambhal district. The mob claimed that the man was a child lifter. According to reports, two brothers had gone to see a doctor for the treatment of their nephew when a mob caught hold of them and started beating them on suspicion of child lifting. Both were dragged to a field where they were ruthlessly beaten. 

On getting the information, the police rushed to the spot and rescued both the brothers, one of whom was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. Five persons were arrested for assaulting the duo.  Four more incidents came to light in Shamli, Bulandshahr and Hapur on the same day. Five women were thrashed by a mob while they were selling ropes suspecting them to be child-lifters in Shamli district. They were rescued by the police.