The Tripura Police on Wednesday briefly detained two men in connection with the lynching of a hawker at Murabari area on June 28, reported The Telegraph. The two, who were detained from their residence and taken to New Capital Complex police station, were released after some time, Assistant Inspector General of Police Smriti Ranjan Das told PTI.
Jahir Khan, a garment hawker based in Uttar Pradesh, was lynched by a mob inside a Tripura State Rifles camp over rumours of child lifting. While Khan died on the spot, Gulzar and Khurshid Khan – who were with him – suffered injuries.
The same day, another man hired by the state government to spread awareness against rumour-mongering was lynched. Four policemen were later suspended in connection with their roles in the matter. Two days before these lynching incidents, an 11-year-old boy was murdered in Mohanpur sub-division in West Tripura.
After the lynchings, Tripura Director General of Police AK Shukla suspended messaging and mobile internet services in the state for 24 hours to prevent rumour-mongering. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb had appealed to people to not indulge in spreading rumours and fake news.
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