Baripada, February 24 Police have arrested 16 people and detained 15 others for their alleged involvement in the murder of a man and the beating up of two other individuals over suspicion of child abduction in two different areas in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, officials said on Tuesday.
A mentally challenged man was allegedly beaten to death by a mob over suspicion of child theft in the Morada Police Station area on Monday, Mayurbhanj SP Varun Guntupalli said on Tuesday.
After receiving information, a police team reached the spot and rescued the man. He was admitted to a local hospital, where doctors declared him dead, he said.
"We have registered a murder case in this regard and detained 15 people, and their verification is underway. Those found to be involved in the murder will be forwarded to court," the SP said.
The identity of the deceased has not been ascertained until late Tuesday evening, the police said.
A similar incident took place in the Baripada Sadar police station area late Monday night, where two men were beaten up by some people suspecting them as members of a child-lifting gang, Guntupalli said.
"Our police officers immediately rescued the two persons and registered a case. We have arrested 16 people for their involvement in the incident,” he said.
The SP said that the police administration has noticed that people have taken the law into their own hands and created problems, suspecting unknown persons as child lifters.
He appealed to the public not to resort to such violence because there is no report of child theft in any part of the district.
Guntupalli advised the citizens to inform the police if any suspected person is found roaming in their locality.