Trans person beaten to death by mob in India, after being mistaken for child trafficker
A trans person has been beaten to death by a mob in India after being mistaken for a child trafficker.
The incident took place on Saturday when a mob of nearly 500 locals attacked a group of three people in the city of Hyderabad in southern India, according to Indian media reports.
The three individuals had reportedly travelled to Hyderabad from Telangana’s Mahabubnagar district.
The mob believed – on the basis of fake news spread using WhatsApp messages – that the group were out trafficking children in the Chandrayangutta suburb of the city.
The police reportedly tried to intervene and stop the mob from attacking the group, but were pelted with stones.
According to reports, the group were taken to hospital after being attacked, but one person died from their injuries at 3am local time on Sunday. The other two people are still being treated in hospital.
There are conflicting reports over the gender identity of the transgender person killed. PinkNews has contacted Hyderabad City Police for further information.
Since the attack, Hyderabad City Police has released a number of statements on Twitter urging locals not to listen to rumours of child abductors on social media.
(hyderabadpolice/Twitter)
In a statement to the Times of India, the force said: “These days social media platforms like Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter are being used to spread fake news.
“All such messages are only rumours. If someone sends such news please do not share with anyone and validate with the police. If anyone finds suspicions, tell the police by dialling 100 or inform through Hawkeye, Facebook and Whatsapp.
“Do not take the law into your own hands. We will take serious legal action against you. Please do not believe in rumours, do not campaign and do not force the innocents.”
(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Chandrayangutta inspector Prakash Reddy told the newspaper: “There have been some WhatsApp messages doing round, rumours about burglars, kidnappers and transgenders. One of the locals raised alarm saying the duo has come to kidnap children.”
Last August, PinkNews reported on the murder of a transgender woman was strangled to death near Aluva Railway Station in the Indian state of Kerala.
