NEW DELHI, July 6 (Xinhua) -- With over 20 people being lynched in the country in the past two months on suspicion of being child-lifters, India's Home Ministry has asked all states to take immediate steps to curb such incidents fuelled by rumors on social media.
"Keep a watch for early detection of rumors of child-lifting and initiate effective measures to counter them," the Home Ministry said in an advisory to Indian states Thursday.
A senior official said Friday that the central government is very much concerned over mob taking law into their own hands on the basis of rumors circulating on social media and killing people just on the suspicion of being child-lifters.
"This is unacceptable. The state governments have been asked to spread awareness to prevent people from falling prey to the rumors," he said.
The latest mob lynching took place in the western state of Maharashtra Sunday, when five people were beaten to death on suspicion of being child-lifters. Police have so far arrested 24 people, including the main accused, in connection with the incident.
The five victims belonging to a nomadic tribe had been passing through Rainpada village in Dhule district Sunday when they were attacked by the mob on suspicion of being child-lifters. This was after rumors of child-lifting were widely circulated on social media in the state.
Despite attempts by police to counter them, incidents of lynchings resulting from such social media rumors continue in India and has claimed a number of lives in the recent past.