Indian WhatsApp lynchings explained

Type:Moral panic, mass hysteria, lynchings, mob violence
Deaths:≥ 23
Arrests:≥ 600

The Indian WhatsApp lynchings are a spate of mob-related violence and killings following the spread of rumours, primarily relating to child-abduction and organ harvesting, via the WhatsApp message service. The spate of lynchings commenced in May 2017 with the killing of seven men in Jharkhand, but did not become a matter of national attention until the beginning of the following year. Fake messages customised with locally specific details are circulated along with real videos attached to fake messages or claims.

In almost all of the lynching locations, no child abductions had been recorded in the previous three months.[1]

The majority of the attacks have occurred deep within the interior regions of villages. The lynch mobs included men, women and children. In some cases the mobs were composed largely of illiterate or poorly educated men that were unemployed or working as day labourers as well as being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the attack.[2] In at least some of the cases prime instigators have used child-abduction fears to stir up the violence and settle old scores.

Responses

The Indian Government does not track public lynchings and there are no official statistics from the Indian Crime Records Bureau regarding their occurrence across India.[3]

Media coverage over the killings and efforts to debunk fake news have also been concentrated in the English and Hindi language media, with little attention given to local language reporting.[4]

On 4 July 2018 – WhatsApp offered $50,000 in funding for researchers to develop technological and social ideas that prevent the spread of fake news.[5]

On 10 July 2018 – WhatsApp launched a newspaper advertising campaign warning against fake news and announced changes for Indian users of the platform that labels forwarded messages as such.[6]

Notable cases

2020 Palghar mob lynching

See main article: 2020 Palghar mob lynching. On 16 April 2020, a vigilante group lynched two Hindu Sadhus and their drivers in Gadchinchale Village, Palghar District, Maharashtra, India. The incident was fuelled by WhatsApp rumours, about thieves operating in the area, during the nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The vigilante group of villagers had mistaken the three passengers as thieves and killed them.[7] The policemen who intervened were also attacked, with four policemen and a senior police officer getting injured.[8]

As of 20 April, 101 villagers have been arrested by the Maharashtra police on charges of murder of the three men and an investigation is ongoing.[9] [10] After the incident, rumours were spread to stoke religious tension. On 22 April, Maharashtra Home Minister, Anil Deshmukh posted a complete list of people arrested, and said that none of the people arrested were Muslims.[11] The government said that both the attackers and the victims were of same religion.[12] [13]

2018 Karbi Anglong lynching

See main article: 2018 Karbi Anglong lynching. The 2018 Karbi Anglong lynching occurred when two men who were visiting the Kangthilangso waterfall to search for ornamental fish stopped their vehicle to ask villagers for directions. A mob of inebriated villagers suspected them to be child abductors and attacked them with machetes, bamboo poles and wood. The two men succumbed to their injuries before they could be taken to hospital. A video was circulated of the two men covered in blood and begging for mercy.

List of attacks and lynchings

Date! style="width: 15%;"
VictimsLocationStateCircumstances
May 12, 2017Two menJadugora, East Singhbhum districtJharkhand2Two people were beaten to death and as many injured by a mob on suspicion that they were child lifters in Jadugora.[14]
Unidentified manShobhapur village, KolhanJharkhand1One man beaten to death on suspicion of being a child abductor.
Two unidentified menSosomoli villageJharkhand2Two men beaten to death on suspicion of being child abductors.[15]
Rukmani (female, 65), Chandrasekaran (male, 34), Mohan Kumar (male, 34), Venkatesan (51), GajendranAthimur, TiruvannamalaiTamil Nadu1342[16] 65 year old Rukmani and her family was travelling from Chennai to visit the family temple when they stopped to ask an elderly lady for directions. Whilst stopping they gave chocolates to local children. The lady told the rest of the village that they must be child traffickers. A mob of 200 gathered, stripped the family and beat them,[17] killing Rukmani, critically injuring the other three and overturning their vehicle. Police were present but unable to stop the violence until an ambulance arrived.[18] Videos taken of the attack were circulated and used to identify perpetrators.[19] Claims that 52 children in the district had been abducted were circulating on WhatsApp prior to the lynching. Police commenced an awareness campaign against fake news in the days following the attack.
1 man (30s)Parasuramapatti, Gudiyatham, VelloreTamil Nadu1A 30 year old Hindi-speaking migrant worker is suspected of being a child-abductor and beaten to death. Police commence a public awareness campaign.
Ganesh (30s)Tiruvaller, ChennaiTamil Nadu120[20] A mentally-ill man who had been seen roaming the streets for several months was attacked by 90 villagers who accused him of being a child kidnapper. They broke his nose, gouged out an eye, and hung him from a bridge near Pulicat Lake.[21] [22] The cause was fake videos and messages circulating via WhatsApp.
Uttam Kumar Verma (male), Ganesh Kumar Gupta (male), Vikas Verma (25), Gautam Verma (27), elderly woman (80s)NagadihJharkhand4Two brothers working for the Swachh Bharat campaign and a friend were beaten to death by tribals in front of their 80-year-old grandmother. Their older brother sustained injuries in the attack. Police failed to rescue them, with witnesses accusing them of standing and watching. WhatsApp rumours were blamed for the attack.[23] [24] Angry villagers torched two police vehicles.[25] It was reported that the grandmother was also beaten and died later.[26] [27]
Bharat Sonavne (male), Shivaji Shinde (male), and 7 other menChandgaon, Vaijapur talukaMaharashtra27400Two men were beaten to death and seven others were injured, one of them critically, after a mob of villagers attacked them with wooden sticks after receiving social media messages about a gang of robbers in the area.[28]
2 men, 2 women, 1 childMalegaonMaharashtra04A family of daily wage labourers were accused by a teenager of being child abductors and set upon by surrounding crowd. All five were rescued by police. The crowd attacked police and overturned a police vehicle. The four are critically injured in hospital.[29] Cause believed to be fake videos originating in Karnataka.[30]
July 1, 2018Dadarao Bhosale, Bharat Bhosale, Aappa Ingole, Bharat Malve and Raju Bhosale[31] Rainpada village, Dhule districtMaharashtra55 people belonging to the nomadic community Nath Panthi Davari Gosavi were lynched to death on the suspicion of being child traffickers. Rumours on social media suggested that child abductors were active in the area.[32]
Mohammed Azam (28), Salham Eid Al Kubasi, Noor Mohammed, 1 other manBidar districtKarnataka1332[33] [34] IT worker, Mohammed Azam was visiting a relative with three friends when they saw some children in the village to whom they gave Qatari chocolates. Villagers, suspecting them to be child-snatchers turned hostile. The group fled in their car, but residents called ahead to the next village of Murki who blocked the road. The car flipped into a ditch and the men dragged them out of the vehicle and beaten with sticks and stones. By the time the police arrived, Azam was dead whilst the others had sustained critical injuries.[35] Eight policemen were injured, two seriously.[36]
1 woman (25)Bhosh village, Morwa, SingrauliMadhya Pradesh114Following the circulation of WhatsApp messages a group of tribal men suspected a homeless, mentally-disabled woman, attacking her with sticks, rods and a pick-axe. Her body was dumped in the jungle, but found shortly afterwards by the police.[37]
Sushil Giri Maharaj (35), Nilesh Telgane (35), and Chikane Maharaj Kalpavrikshgiri (70)Maharashtra3110See 2020 Palghar mob lynching. Three men who were driving to a funeral during coronavirus lockdown were lynched by the vigilante group on the suspicion of being thieves after rumours were floated in the area.[38]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Murderous mob — 9 states, 27 killings, one year: And a pattern to the lynchings. 15 July 2018. The Indian Express. 27 July 2018. 11 May 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200511171607/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/murderous-mob-lynching-incidents-in-india-dhule-whatsapp-rumour-5247741/. live.
  2. News: An Express Investigation Part 2: Look who all make up the murderous lynch mob. 15 July 2018. The Indian Express. 27 July 2018. 27 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727145941/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/murderous-mob-lynchings-accused-whatsapp-rumour-investigation-child-lifting-5249318/. live.
  3. News: Blaming WhatsApp for Deaths due to Lynchings has Shielded Government Accountability. Gupta. Apar. 10 July 2018. Tech2. 31 July 2018. 31 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180731100324/https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/blaming-whatsapp-for-deaths-due-to-lynchings-has-shielded-govt-accountability-4703481.html. live.
  4. News: India's fight against fake news has a problem: More needs to be done on regional languages.. Milko. Victoria. 10 July 2010. The Splice Newsroom. 28 July 2018. 26 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230326135824/https://www.splicemedia.com/. live.
  5. News: WhatsApp offers $50,000 for ideas to stop fake news spread as India orders it to take action over lynchings. 4 July 2018. The Telegraph. 30 July 2018. 30 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180730160553/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/07/04/india-calls-whatsapp-help-end-spate-lynchings-sparked-rumours/. live.
  6. News: 'Fake news often goes viral': WhatsApp ads warn India after mob lynchings. Rahman. Shaikh Azizur. 13 July 2018. The Guardian. 30 July 2018. 30 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180730170619/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/13/fake-news-whatsapp-ads-india-mob-lynchings. live.
  7. News: Police arrest 110 people over lynching in western India . 23 April 2020 . Reuters . 20 April 2020 . en . 12 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200612135704/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-crime/police-arrest-110-people-over-lynching-in-western-india-idUSKBN2222HT?il=0 . live .
  8. 3 men lynched in Maharashtra on suspicion of being robbers. Divyesh Singh. April 17, 2020. India Today. en. 2020-04-21. 21 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200421173603/https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/3-men-lynched-in-maharashtra-on-suspicion-of-being-robbers-1668027-2020-04-17. live.
  9. Web site: No Muslims among 101 accused for Palghar sadhu lynching: Maha Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. Free Press Journal. en. 2020-04-22. 26 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200426030928/https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/no-muslims-among-101-accused-for-palghar-sadhu-lynching-maha-home-minister-anil-deshmukh. live.
  10. Web site: 110 arrested over latest deadly lynch mob attack in India. www.cbsnews.com. 20 April 2020 . en-US. 2020-04-22. 22 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200422015111/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/palghar-lynching-india-arrests-110-suspends-police-officers-rumor-fuelled-slayings-3-men/. live.
  11. Web site: Palghar mob lynching: Anil Deshmukh releases list of 101 people arrested. April 22, 2020. Pune Mirror. en. 2020-04-22. 12 May 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200512185458/https://punemirror.indiatimes.com/pune/others/palghar-mob-lynching-anil-deshmukh-releases-list-of-101-people-arrested/articleshow/75288323.cms. dead.
  12. News: More than 100 arrested over India lynching. 2020-04-20. BBC News. 2020-04-20. en-GB. 11 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200611035427/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52350728. live.
  13. News: Palghar Lynching: Maha govt warns against floating 'communal angle', says attackers and victims were of 'same religion' . 23 April 2020 . DNA India . 20 April 2020 . en . 26 April 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200426090611/https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-palghar-lynching-maha-govt-warns-against-floating-communal-angle-says-attackers-and-victims-were-of-same-religion-2821742 . live .
  14. News: Bhattacharya. Ravik. 22 May 2017. Jharkhand lynching: Amid WhatsApp rumours, tribals stopped school, outdoors for kids. The Indian Express. 3 June 2020. 3 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200603022025/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jamshedpur-amid-whatsapp-rumours-stoked-fears-tribals-stopped-school-outdoors-for-kids-jharkhand-lynching-non-tribal-clash-4666068/. live.
  15. News: Politics of lynching, the new normal in India. Surendran. Vivek. 27 June 2017. India Today. 27 July 2018. 27 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727115148/https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/lynching-hindu-muslim-mob-violence-kashmir-jharkhand-984791-2017-06-27. live.
  16. News: WhatsApp Rumours, Fake Videos Lead to Lynching and Deaths in Tamil Nadu. Karthikeyan. Divya. 25 May 2018. The Wire. 27 July 2018. 27 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727115210/https://thewire.in/media/a-whatsapp-rumour-a-fake-video-lead-to-lynching-and-deaths-in-tamil-nadu. live.
  17. News: TN horror: Mob mistakes 65-year-old woman for child trafficker, lynches her to death. Jayarajan. Sreedevi. 10 May 2018. The News Minute. 27 July 2018. 11 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180511030225/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/tn-horror-mob-mistakes-65-year-old-woman-child-trafficker-lynches-her-death-81010. live.
  18. News: Tamil Nadu: Mob Of 200 Lynches To Death 65-Yr-Old Woman Mistaking Her For A Child Trafficker. 10 May 2018. The Logical Indian. 27 July 2018. 27 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727114926/https://thelogicalindian.com/news/tamil-nadu-mob-65-yr-old-woman-child-trafficker/. live.
  19. News: 23 men arrested for lynching 65-year-old Chennai woman. 11 May 2018. The Times of India. 27 July 2018. 13 August 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180813195320/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/puducherry/23-men-arrested-for-lynching-65-year-old-chennai-woman/articleshow/64115348.cms. live.
  20. News: Tamil Nadu: Two lynched to death in 24 hours; how fake WhatsApp messages spread panic. 11 May 2018. Financial Express. 27 July 2018. 27 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727114942/https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-two-lynched-to-death-in-24-hours-how-fake-whatsapp-messages-spread-panic/1163520/. live.
  21. News: False Whatsapp messages on child abduction trigger violence in TN, killing two. Thirumurthy. Priyanka. 11 May 2018. The News Minute. Jayarajan. Sreedevi. 27 July 2018. 19 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180719133456/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/false-whatsapp-messages-child-abduction-trigger-violence-tn-killing-two-81074. live.
  22. News: Mob Justice On Chennai Streets, Two Men Lynched Within 24 Hours For Alleged Child Theft. Selvaraj. A.. 11 May 2018. Indian Times. 27 July 2018. 27 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727145532/https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/mob-justice-on-chennai-streets-two-men-lynched-within-24-hours-for-alleged-child-theft-345176.html. live.
  23. News: Seven lynched by mob in Jharkhand over kidnap rumours. Bhattacharya. Ravik. 20 May 2017. The Indian Express. 27 July 2018. 27 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727114939/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/lynched-by-mob-in-jharkhand-over-kidnap-rumours-4664595/. live.
  24. News: Jharkhand lynching: Community leaders, activists blame 'curse of social media'. Murty. B Vijay. 22 May 2017. Hindustan Times. 27 July 2018. 27 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727115300/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/jharkhand-lynching-community-leaders-activists-blame-curse-of-social-media/story-dJxy4KwljyhiOKFUGGxkNJ.html. live.
  25. News: Six persons lynched in two separate incidents in Jharkhand following suspicion of child-lifting. 19 May 2017. First Post. 27 July 2018. 27 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727125032/https://www.firstpost.com/india/six-persons-lynched-in-two-separate-incidents-in-jharkhand-following-suspicion-of-child-lifting-3457408.html. live.
  26. News: Anatomy of a lynching: How fake forwards create killer mobs. 16 June 2018. The Times of India. 27 July 2018. 25 August 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180825034553/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/anatomy-of-a-lynching-how-fake-forwards-create-killer-mobs/articleshow/64612041.cms. live.
  27. News: 4-year RI for 12 in Rajnagar lynching. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727114937/https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/jharkhand/4-year-ri-for-12-in-rajnagar-lynching-245426. dead. 27 July 2018. 17 July 2018. The Telegraph.
  28. News: WhatsApp Rumour Triggers Lynching of 2 Men in Maharashtra's Aurangabad. 13 June 2018. News 18. 27 July 2018. 27 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727145534/https://www.news18.com/news/india/whatsapp-rumour-triggers-lynching-of-2-men-in-maharashtras-aurangabad-1777717.html. live.
  29. News: 5 Lynched in Dhule, 4 Battered in Malegaon: Fake WhatsApp Message Haunts Maharashtra Now. 2 July 2018. News 18. 27 July 2018. 27 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727082117/https://www.news18.com/news/india/5-lynched-in-dhule-4-battered-in-malegaon-fake-whatsapp-message-haunts-maharashtra-now-1797399.html. live.
  30. News: How A Video From Karnataka Spurred A Mob Attack In Malegaon. Niranjakumar. Nivedita. 3 July 2018. The Quint. 27 July 2018. 27 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727115154/https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/fake-video-from-karnataka-leads-to-malegaon-mob-attack-lynching. live.
  31. Web site: Shantha. Sukanya. 5 July 2018. State Apathy, Not WhatsApp Rumours, Behind Victimisation of Maharashtra's Nomadic Tribe. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200420111227/https://thewire.in/rights/maharashtra-lynching-nath-panthi-davari-gosavi. 20 April 2020. 2021-02-09. The Wire.
  32. Web site: 2018-07-04. Fuelled by WhatsApp rumours, Dhule mob wanted to burn bodies of 'child abductors'. 2021-02-09. Hindustan Times. en. 14 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210214134002/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/furious-dhule-mob-wanted-to-burn-bodies-of-child-abductors-after-beating-them-to-death/story-pqH4MFa8YRc9ofxJLPgWOK.html. live.
  33. News: 2,000-strong mob kill engineer over child-kidnapping rumours in India's latest lynching. Busby. Mattha. 16 July 2018. Independent. 27 July 2018. 27 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727123407/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/india-child-kidnapping-rumours-whatsapp-angry-mob-karnataka-hyderabad-a8449441.html. live.
  34. News: Hyd man lynched to death after mob in K'taka accuses him of being a child abductor. Ram. Theja. 14 July 2018. The News Minute. 27 July 2018. 27 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727145823/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/hyd-man-lynched-death-after-mob-k-taka-accuses-him-being-child-abductor-84769. live.
  35. News: Google techie's lynching in Karnataka: How an act of kindness turned deadly. 16 July 2018. Business Standard. 27 July 2018. 26 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180726042352/https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/google-techie-s-lynching-in-karnataka-how-an-act-of-kindness-turned-deadly-118071500351_1.html. live.
  36. News: 'He looked like a terrorist': How a drive in Karnataka ended in mob lynching. 30 July 2018. Hindustan Times. 30 July 2018. 30 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180730102755/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/he-looked-like-a-terrorist-how-a-drive-in-rural-india-ended-in-a-mob-attack-and-a-lynching/story-48MpOGGkqjbDwgv3eigOwJ.html. live.
  37. News: Mentally challenged homeless woman lynched by mob over child lifting rumours in Madhya Pradesh. 23 July 2018. The New Indian Express. 27 July 2018. 27 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180727115001/http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/jul/23/mentally-challenged-homeless-woman-lynched-by-mob-over-child-lifting-rumours-in-madhya-pradesh-1847404.html. live.
  38. News: 3 Men Brutally Killed By Mob In Maharashtra's Palghar, Police Arrest 110. 18 April 2020. NDTV. 19 April 2020. 19 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200419000417/https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/3-killed-by-mob-in-maharashtras-palghar-over-rumours-of-organ-harvesting-2214013. live.

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