Man thrashed on suspicion of being child-lifter in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri

JALPAIGURI (WEST BENGAL): A middle-aged man was beaten up by local people in Jalpaiguri district on the suspicion of being a child-lifter, police said. He was admitted to a hospital and his condition is stable, doctors said on Thursday.

Locals mistook him for being a child-lifter after he was spotted wandering near Jaipur tea garden, 10 km from here, over the past two days. The man was overpowered by the mob, when he started running after a chase on Wednesday, an officer at Kotwali Police Station said.

The locals allegedly left the spot when the man fell unconscious after he was pinned down to the ground and beaten with sticks, he said. The person was taken to a super-speciality hospital after a Trinamool Congress leader was informed about the matter.

An investigation is underway, Jalpaiguri Superintendent of Police Abhishek Modi said. "We have launched an awareness campaign so that people do not take law into their own hands," the SP said.