Two women mistaken for chain snatchers, assaulted by mob in Karnataka market

BELAGAVI: Two women were allegedly assaulted by a group of people in Raibag town in Karnataka’s Belagavi district on suspicion of being chain snatchers before being handed over to the police.

The incident occurred on Monday at the weekly market in Raibag.

The women, residents of Miraj taluk in neighbouring Maharashtra, were taken into custody by Raibag police following the incident. Police later registered a suo motu case in connection with the assault and the subsequent commotion.

However, as no stolen property was recovered from the women and no formal complaint of chain snatching was lodged against them, police produced them before the Tahsildar and later released them.

Speaking to TOI, police officials said the women belonged to a nomadic community and had come to the Raibag market along with their children on the weekly market day.

According to police, some people grew suspicious due to the women’s behaviour and mistakenly assumed they were involved in chain snatching, which led to the assault.

Police have appealed to the public not to take the law into their own hands and to immediately inform authorities in case of any suspicion.