An angry crowd beat up a young man suspecting him to be a child kidnapper in Ittangihal village near Tikota in Vijayapura district on Monday.
The victim was moving around the village when he was caught by a group of youth. They tied him to a pole near the Hanuman temple and beat him up. After some time, some one from the village alerted the police. Police dispersed the crowd and took him away.
“They drowned him in questions about his identity. But did not give him an opportunity to speak. He was repeatedly slapped and punched. He was badly bruised when the police arrived. He was taken to a doctor and treated as an out patient. He is out of danger,’’ a police officer said.
SP D. Lokesh Kumar has asked the public not to take the law in their own hands. “If the people suspect anyone of committing or planning to commit any offence, they should dial 112 and approach the police,’’ he said.