Man mistaken for child lifter attacked

According to sources, the youth who had in hand a gunny bag was found talking to four children at the Anna statue area in the coastal region of Nagapattinam. Upon seeing this, onlookers who had reportedly mistaken him for a child lifter, shouted at him and called others along to catch the 23-year-old.

Soon, a group of around 10 men assembled at the spot and pushed the north Indian youth into a sewer line and reportedly assaulted him severely. As the youth was trapped in the sewer and sustained severe injuries in the attack, he could not move and his cries for help went unheard.

On information, the Velipalayam police rushed to the spot and rescued the youth and took him to the Nagapattinam government hospital by autorickshaw where he was admitted with severe injuries. Preliminary investigation by the police found that the north Indian youth was spotted picking trash at the New and Old bus stands, Arivuthidal and the Public Office Road.

As the youth was found to speak a different dialect of Hindi, the police are awaiting a translator to help in conversing with the north Indian and elicit the required information from him.