Nizamabad: One person was killed and another injured when villagers, panic-stricken by fake reports on social media of dacoit gangs, attacked them in Nizamabad district.
Police identified the victim as Malavath Devya, 40, of Chintalur thanda, while Degavath Lalu is battling for life with severe injuries.
Devya and Lalu went to a mango orchard on the outskirts of Chengal village in Bheemgal mandal on Tuesday evening.
Suspecting them to be a part of a Bihar-based kidnapper gang, the Chengal villagers beat them up and tied them to a pole at the gram panchayat office.
On receipt of information, Bheemgal police rushed to Chengal village and rescued the victims and shifted to Armoor hospital and then took them to Hyderabad for better treatment.
Devya succumbed while undergoing treatment on Wednesday. Following this, police was posted in Chengal village.
Nizamabad commissioner of police Kartikeya there were no kidnap or dacoit gangs moving in the district. He urged the people not to believe any information in this regard on social media.
Kamareddy superintendent of police N. Swetha warned that cases would be registered against those who forward false messages on social media.
She said that the police had deployed Blue Colts patrols in Kamareddy district.
