Child lifting rumour: Three sadhus saved from angry mob of 500 from getting lynched in Assam

The incident, which is a continuation of the spate of attacks over WhatsApp rumours of fake news stories, took place at Mahur, Dima Hasao district of Assam.

NEW DELHI: Three saffron clad priests were saved by TA battalion under Assam Rifles after an angry mob of 500 attacked them in Assam. The incident, which is a continuation of the spate of attacks over WhatsApp rumours of fake news stories, took place at Mahur, Dima Hasao district of Assam. Suspected of being child-lifters, they were rescued from mob-lynching with minor injuries. Army men posted at an adjacent camp and police officers came to the rescue of three persons. The news comes in the backdrop of back-to-back lynching incidents in the country as rumours on the presence of "child-lifters" spread in different parts of the state. In a similar incident on June 8, two friends, who had gone to a picnic spot in Karbi Anglong, were stopped on their way back by a group of villagers and lynched on the suspicion of being child-lifters. The government on Tuesday directed WhatsApp to take urgent to end the menace of spreading messages that impact the country's law and order situation and ensure that the platform is not used for such mala fide activities To this, WhatsApp responded to the Centre's notice to the social media platform and announced that they are testing a new label to curb the spread of rumours on its platform. In this feature, they have also outlined steps, including a change that would clearly mark forwarded messages.