Woman thrashed by train passengers on suspicion of being child lifter

Kolkata, Jun 26 (PTI) Passengers on board a local train thrashed a woman in North 24 Parganas Birati station on suspicion of being a child lifter, Government Railway Police (GRP) said.

A GRP officer said the woman was rescued by the railway police personnel from the mob which alleged she had lifted the baby.

The officer said the woman claimed to be the mother of the baby and hailed from a neighbouring state living in the Dumdum area of North 24 Parganas district.

The baby seemed to be comfortable in her company but GRP personnel were still investigating the allegations and accompanied her to her residence in Dumdum, the official said.

One of the passengers said the commuters became suspicious as the woman could not reply coherently to their queries when they asked about her relations with the baby.

As the news of the woman child lifer spread, passengers beat the woman and blocked the railway tracks for 15 minutes.

GRP resorted to lathi-charge to rescue the woman.

The incident took place close on the heels of at least three cases of mob thrashing strangers in different localities of North 24 Parganas district on suspicion of being child lifters.

Police have repeatedly asked people not to be swayed by such rumours and arrested a few people on charge of spreading fake news of child lifting on social media. PTI SUS RG