Bhubaneswar, June 22: A daily wage labourer from Keralam was allegedly assaulted by a mob in Odisha’s Sambalpur after being mistaken for a child-lifter, police said on Monday.
The victim, identified as Vishnu S. from Alappuzha, Keralam, was wandering near Dhobapada Park when locals confronted him. Unable to communicate in Odia, he aroused suspicion among residents, who attacked him.
Police intervened, rescued Vishnu from the mob, and admitted him to a hospital. After contacting his family and a friend, authorities arranged for him to travel to Bokaro.
The incident comes days after two NGO interns were attacked in Rayagada district on similar suspicions.
Odisha has witnessed several such cases of mob violence in recent months, prompting concerns over the growing trend of vigilantism and attacks triggered by rumours of child abduction.
