Telangana DGP appeals to not spread rumours about the missing cases
Tension has gripped the Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Panic rumours of child kidnappers have led to the lynching of five people in the two states. While three people were lynched in Andhra Pradesh, two were beaten to death in Telangana; at least 20 have been critically injured by manic mobs in both the states. However, police chiefs of both the states have requested people not to believe the rumours that are being spread over social media; however, attacks on innocent people, particularly non-Telugu speakers, have created a scary situation.
Incidents of lynching in Andhra Pradesh were reported from the coastal city of Visakhapatnam as well as Prakasam and Chittoor; a woman rail passenger was brutally thrashed in Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. In neighbouring Telangana, mob fury was directed at innocent people in Nizamabad, Yadadri and Rangareddy districts. After the unfortunate attack on the woman traveller at Repalle station under the Guntur railway division, M Malakondaiah, director general of police (DGP), Andhra Pradesh visited her at the hospital and assured strict action against the attackers.
Similarly, after reports of attacks emerged from several districts including Cyberabad and Rachakonda commissioner zone of Hyderabad, Telangana DGP Mahender Reddy chaired a high-level meeting and instructed officers to take precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the people. Meanwhile, Telangana Police has launched an awareness programme but reports of attacks on innocents are still emerging making the situation grim
