Pilgrim thrashed on suspicion of child lifting

A pilgrim was brutally beaten up by some villagers on the suspicion of child lifting in Rajasthan's Jodhpur district, police said on Monday.

They took him to the nearest police chowki but fled after learning that he was a pilgrim and was just resting at a Mandla Kalan village school, they said.

"A video of the villagers beating him up mercilessly went viral on social media. On the basis of it, we have identified four persons. A case has been registered against them," said Phalodi SHO Rajeev Bhadu.

The victim was identified as Shambhulal Garasia from Sirohi district in Rajasthan.

He was on his way to Ramdeora near Pokhran in Jaisalmer district to pay obeisance to local deity Baba Ramdeo.

"On the way to the temple, he halted to take rest at a school in Mandla Kalan village. Seeing him sitting alone, some villagers enquired about him but on not finding his response to their satisfaction, they started beating him up, suspecting him to be a child lifter," said the police officer.

They grabbed him by hair and dragged him to the village police chowki.

But when the victim told police that he was a pilgrim and was headed to Ramdeora, the assailants fled.

After the video of the incident went viral on Social media, police registered a case against four persons, identified as Om Prakas, Shyam Lal, Gomadram and Sunil.

Police took the victim to the hospital, where he was provided with medical care.