A Sikh man was thrashed in Kalaburagi of Karnataka by mob of 30-40 people who accused him of being a child abductor. The police said that the victim fell prey to fake WhatsApp forwards and the mob thought that he is a child abductor.
The police said, the trigger for the attack was the kirpan, a Sikh religious symbol, that the victim, Alvar Singh, was carrying.
Singh is the fourth known victim of mob attacks fuelled by WhatsApp forwards claiming child abductors are on the prowl in the state. On 23 May, a mob in Bengaluru had lynched a man from Rajasthan on suspicion that he was child abductor, once again because of a similar WhatsApp forward.
Alvar Singh, an earth mover driver, was stopped by the mob in a market in Kodla in Kalburgi district and was questioned why he was carrying a knife. Even though Singh tried to explain that he was carrying a kirpan (a religious symbol), he was attacked by the mob, who removed his turban and thrashed him mercilessly. Photos appear to show Singh with cuts on his head and no hair, however, police deny that he was tonsured.
According to an official at Sedam police station, where an FIR has been registered, Singh had come to Kalburgi just three days before the attack after getting a job as a driver in a cement factory.
Bengaluru Police have taken cognisance of the menace of false WhatsApp forwards, and tweet this warning to citizens:
#FalseRumorsOnChildKidnappers : " Do not entertain false rumors."#ಮಕ್ಕಳ_ಕಳ್ಳರ_ಬಗ್ಗೆ_ಸುಳ್ಳು_ವದಂತಿ : ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಕಳ್ಳರ ವದಂತಿಗೆ ಕಿವಿಗೊಡಬೇಡಿ. ಇದು ಸುಳ್ಳು ಸುದ್ದಿ.
— BengaluruCityPolice (@BlrCityPolice) May 28, 2018
“#ಸುಳ್ಳು_ವದಂತಿಗಳನ್ನ_ನಂಬಬೇಡಿ_ಮತ್ತು_ಪ್ರೋತ್ಸಾಹಿಸಬೇಡಿ” pic.twitter.com/77T6AwlOEY
A warning against such hoax WhatsApp messages was also one of the first announcements by Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy after taking over. He had taken to Twitter on Saturday, asking people to be cautious of messages that talk of child abductors on the loose in Karnataka.
I request Public not to pay heed to rumours on child kidnappers. News of child kidnapper gangs is false. I have asked police forces to be on strict vigil on this issue.I request the public to be responsible &their posts shouldn't create panic&disturbance tothe peaceloving society
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) May 26, 2018
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh Seeks Probe Into Attack On Sikh Man In Karnataka
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday urged his Karnataka counterpart HD Kumaraswamy to ensure a thorough inquiry and stern action against the culprits involved in the alleged attack on a Sikh man in Gulbarga over “fake WhatsApp news”.
Taking serious note of the incident, Chief Minister Singh in a tweet asked Kumaraswamy to direct police officials to book the accused under the most stringent provisions of the Indian Penal Code and launch a detailed probe into the incident.
“Just heard about mob attack on a Sikh in Gulbarga on suspicion of being child lifter following fake Whatsapp news. Request you Shri @hd_kumaraswamy ji to ensure stringent action against culprits, and full protection for Sikh community and their religious rights in your state(sic),” Amarinder Singh said.
Just heard about mob attack on a Sikh in Gulbarga on suspicion of being child lifter following fake Whatsapp news. Request CM @hd_kumaraswamy ji to ensure stringent action against culprits, and full protection for Sikh community and their religious rights in Karnataka.
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) May 29, 2018
In a statement issued later, the Punjab chief minister expressed concern over the incident and urged Kumaraswamy to ensure protection for the community and steps to create awareness among the locals about the religious rights of the Sikhs.
He also urged Kumaraswamy to identify and take action against the perpetrators of the fake WhatsApp news.
Alvar Singh was reportedly thrashed by a mob on suspicion of being a child lifter following fake “WhatsApp forwards” about people from certain states coming to Karnataka and abducting children, and also harvesting their organs.
