Passengers on a local train in North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, assaulted a woman on Wednesday after allegedly discovering a seven-month-old baby in her bag. Police are currently questioning the woman.
Sources report that just before the Sealdah-bound train from Duttapukur arrived at Birati railway station, passengers heard a baby crying from a bag the woman was carrying. When confronted, the woman remained silent, prompting the passengers to beat her, accusing her of stealing the baby.
Some passengers intervened, rescuing the woman and handing her over to the Government Railway Police in Dumdum. The police had to resort to a lathicharge as passengers protested at the station, demanding the woman be handed over to them.
In the past week, four similar incidents of mob assaults over child-lifting allegations have been reported in North 24 Parganas. One incident occurred in Srikrishnapur on June 12, and another in Barasat.
