Local people allegedly beat to death a stranger in Kilchinapet in Adoni town in Kurnool district late on Thursday night suspecting him to be a member of the dreaded Parthi gang of dacoits.
Messages doing rounds on the social media that the dreadful gang was on the prowl have led to a fear psychosis among the people although the police have been periodically clarifying that there was no scope for Parthi gang members being on the prowl as they were in jail.
The local people spotted an unidentified man in Kilchinapet in Adoni town and beat him to death around 11 p.m. on Thursday, suspecting him to be a member of Parthi gang.
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Case registered
The man died on the spot with severe head and body injuries. Adoni DSP Prasad inspected the body and shifted it to hospital for post-mortem. The Adoni police have registered a case.
Rumours spread in the social media on the movement of Parthi, Chaddi and Bihari gangs during night time have led to 12 incidents of attacks on innocent persons, beggars, mentally challenged persons and strangers in Kurnool district, Kurnool Superintendent of Police Gopinath Jatti said on Friday.
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Rumours
Urging the people to not credence to such baseless propaganda and take law into their hands, the SP told the media in Kurnool that no such gangs were on the prowl in the district.
Police have been on high alert all over the district and armed policemen were keeping constant vigil, he added.
Innocent persons were attacked in Nandivargam, Dhone, Allagadda, Kolimigundla, Adoni, Atmakur, Gonegandla, Peravali, Owk and other places, Mr. Gopinath said. The people have attacked a person suspecting him to be a burglar in H. Kairawadi in Gonegandla mandal, but police inquiries revealed that he was a beggar belonging to Nandyal.
Rumours spread on social media that dacoits were on the prowl in Boyanapalli and Goverdhanagiri in Veldurthi mandal led police to the Jio cell tower staff, the SP said.
‘Stern action’
He warned of stern action if anyone take law into their hands.
Additional SP P. Shaik Shavali, DSPs J. Babu Prasad, Khader Basha, Vinod Kumar, Hussain Peera and M. Venkatadri and Circle- Inspector Pavan Kishore took part.