Daijiworld Media Network - Bidar (SP)

Bidar, Jul 14: Unsubstantiated rumours about child traffickers spreading through social websites have been wreaking havoc everywhere, and most of the times, innocent people face the heat. In one such incident which happened at Aurad taluk in the district, three persons who were on a visit to a friend's home were chased by villagers. When the men tried to flee, their car jumped into a gorge, causing the death of one among them. Two others suffered serious injuries and were admitted into hospital.

The person who lost his life in this incident of mass hysteria, which happened on Friday July 13, was Azam from Hyderabad.

Three people from Hyderabad, Talaham, Salman and Azam had come to Handikera village in Aurad taluk to visit the family of a friend there named Basheer. Basheer had invited all the three for feast at his home, as Talaham, who was studying in Qatar, had come back home after a prolonged stay. The visitors had offered foreign-made chocolates to some girls from Murki high school in Kamalnagar village on their way as they became happy at seeing them. The villagers, who presumed the visitors to be child lifters, attacked them. The trio, turning panicky, boarded their car and sped away. Because of high speed, their car jumped into a roadside gorge that is 25 feet deep, after brushing against a person, Umesh Biradar, who was standing with his motor bike.

When the police arrived after being informed about the incident and tried to take all the three to the hospital, villagers engaged in exchange of heated words with the police personnel. The situation turned tense. The police then resorted to light lathi-charge in which some police personnel also suffered minor injuries. In between this melee, the police took steps to take the injured persons to hospital. Talaham succumbed to injuries on the way while the other two are being treated in the government hospital at Aurad.

District superintendent of police, D Devaraj, additional superintendent of police, Srihari Babu,Bhalki, deputy superintendent of police and Venkanagouda Patil visited the spot. Additional police forces were deployed in the village to avert any disturbances.