A man roaming around wearing a burqa was thrashed by a mob in the Parksite area of Vikhroli West in Mumbai on Monday morning, December 22. He was mistaken for a child kidnapper and assaulted by a mob and the video of the incident emerged on social media. Acting on rumours, local residents caught hold of the person and handed him over to the police.
During the police inquiry, he was identified as Tausif Mohammad Sheikh (33), an auto-rickshaw driver and a local resident. It was revealed that he had worn a burqa to conceal his identity while searching for passengers who had not paid him following a fare dispute.
Mumbai Auto Driver Thrash on Child Kidnapping Rumour
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According to Tausif, he had dropped three passengers in his auto rickshaw in Parksite two days back, but they did not pay him the fare and fled from the spot after a dispute. Police said that there was no evidence to suggest any involvement in child theft or related criminal activity by Tausif.
The police clarified that the rumours of child kidnapping were baseless and appealed to citizens not to believe or spread such misinformation. Officials have warned that spreading unverified information can lead to serious consequences, including harm to innocent individuals.