Telangana: Transgender Lynched on Suspicion of Being Child-Lifter; 15 Arrested

Incident reported early on Sunday.

Hyderabad, May 28: A transgender was beaten brutally by a mob on the suspicion of being a child-lifter in Chandrayangutta. The 52-year old beggar was allegedly beaten up, leading to his death later, and three others were injured when a mob attacked them suspecting them to be members of a child-kidnapping gang over rumours on social media. They were in the area to seek alms in the month of Ramzan when some youths started throwing stones at them before beating them up around midnight. In all, 15 people had been arrested, said ANI. (Also read: Rajasthan Man Lynched in Bengaluru on Suspicion of Being Child-Lifter)

“Chandraiah, a native of Mahabubnagar district, who was among the injured people, died undergoing treatment in the early hours,” Chandrayangutta inspector Y Prakash Reddy said, adding that a case of murder had been registered. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Zone) V Satyanarayana said fake videos were circulated on social media claiming children were being abducted and their hands and legs chopped off. On May 22, a 42-year old man was beaten to death by a group of villagers after they caught hold of him from a mango farm on suspicion of being a thief in Nizamabad district. (Also read: 11 Get Life Imprisonment in Jharkhand Lynching Case)

ANI quotes Anjani Kumar, Commissioner of Police, as saying that such rumours were circulating on social media and that people should inform the matter to police. On May 24, a councillor and two others were arrested for allegedly beating up and injuring a 27-year old mentally challenged man over rumours that he was a “thief” at Badangpet.

(With agency inputs)