Kidnapping rumours, started a fortnight ago, were dispelled only after Pune Rural cops combed all villages thoroughly
Villagers patrol various areas during night and day
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After a fortnight of turmoil and panic, villagers of Mohitewadi, Brahmanwadi and Sategaon of Maval in Vadgaon, Pune, can finally sleep in peace. The villagers had turned vigilantes for two weeks after a rumour spread through WhatsApp audio clips spooked them into believing that a gang of child abductors was active in the district. The rumour was dispelled only after the Vadgaon police of Pune Rural combed the villages and found no trace of any such kidnapper.
Over 15 days ago, audio clips began doing the rounds, alleging that 3,000 members of a tribal community from Madhya Pradesh and Gadchiroli who target 3-year-olds had fanned out across the state, especially villages in Vadgaon. They asked people to turn vigilantes, and take precautions like keeping their phones charged at night and arming themselves with lathis.
Mass hysteria
Anil Mohite, former sarpanch of Sate gram panchayat and resident of Mohitewadi, said the clips caused a panic. "Rumours of kidnappers having been caught in neighbouring villages and of people spotting suspicious-looking men began to do the rounds. There was no end to such rumours. So, villagers began undertaking patrols at night. The police told us that they were all rumours, but no one believed them."
Pasharat Agalame (36), a resident of Sategaon, said residents, armed with torches, lathis and knives, patrolled the boundaries of villages. “It was a tough period. Any suspicious-looking man was under the lens. A member from each family was required to be part of the patrols.”
The team of vigilantes with police personnel after the combing operation
Umesh Shinde (34) of Brahmanwadi said the panic was palpable across all villages.
Cops step in
The mayhem ended on February 26 after senior Vadgaon police inspector Pradeep Kale, 10 policemen and 20 villagers combed villages from Dongarwadi to Mohitewadi. “The operation started at 4 pm and ended at 8 pm. We covered a stretch of over 7 km of mountainous areas,” said Kale.
He said, “Villagers kept asking us for leads on suspected kidnappers, but we had received no information on such criminals. That's why we undertook the search operation. We didn't find any campfire or food leftover (tell-tale signs of human presence).” Mohite, was glad that the nightmare has finally ended. “No one was ready to step out of their homes even during the day.”
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