NEW DELHI, May 22 -- Police in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand have arrested 19 people in connection with last week's mob killings of seven persons in two separate incidents over suspicion of being child-lifters.
"So far 19 people have been arrested and seven to eight others detained over the incidents. They are being interrogated for their role in the violent mob killings," Inspector General of Jharkhand Police Ashish Batra told the media.
Police said that the two incidents happened in the state's Seraikela and Jamshedpur districts Thursday because of rumors on social media that a child-kidnapping group was active there.
"We are trying to trace the origin of rumors that triggered the lynching of the seven men. We have identified some of the suspects behind the rumors," he added.
This is not the first of such incidents in India. The country has seen sporadic incidents of mob justice and vigilantism in the past.
In April, a man transporting cattle died after being beaten by cow vigilantes in the western state of Rajasthan.
A Muslim man in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh was also beaten to death in 2015 over rumors that his family had slaughtered a cow -- considered sacred by Hindus.
And in the northeastern state of Assam, more than 70 people, mostly women were beaten or stoned to death between 2010 and 2016 on suspicion of practicing witchcraft.
