Ranchi, Feb. 17 -- A surge of mob violence triggered by false rumors of 'child-lifting' left several people critically injured across Jharkhand over the past 48 hours. In separate incidents spanning Chatra, Bokaro, and East Singhbhum, local mobs harassed innocent individuals-including a woman and traveling vendors-before police could intervene to save them. The most severe attack occurred Sunday night in Chiraiyatand (Piparwar), where a man identified as Rampati Rajwar was beaten unconscious. "Suspicions arose when the victim gave conflicting addresses of Ramgarh and Hazaribagh. A team from Piparwar police station rescued the unconscious man and rushed him to the local hospital, from where he was referred to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) for proper care," the police official said. SP, Chatra Sumit Kumar Agarwal confirmed the incident saying a probe was started in the matter. "An FIR has been registered in this connection under relevant section and a probe has been started to ascertain who spread the rumour," Agarwal said. A police official said relevant sections in the matter are section 353 (statement conducing to public mischief) and 240 (giving false information regarding offence) of BNS. The violence extended to other districts through similar patterns of misinformation. "On February 13 a woman named Manisha Devi was cornered by a mob in Balidih police station area. She was a door-to-door sales executive for a tea company but was mistaken for a child lifter. Police rescued her and verified her identity before releasing her," a police official in Bokaro district said. "Around the same time, five sadhus travelling in a vehicle were assaulted by a mob on suspicion of child lifting in Banshidih area, near Kashi Jharia coal belt under Chas police jurisdiction. They were rescued by Bokaro police and sent for medical treatment," the police official added. SP of Bokaro, Harvinder Singh said following the incidents the police started circulating videos restraining people to be aware of rumours and not take law in their hands. "We prepared a video reel after the incidents and started circulating it from Sunday to create awareness," Singh said. In Ghatshila (East Singhbhum), two separate incidents occurred within 12 hours in which three people were branded child lifters and cornered. "In the first, two cousins from West Bengal who were in Chandanpur to sell medicinal oil, were branded Bangladeshi child lifters despite presenting Aadhaar cards. In the second, a woman selling honey was cornered by a mob under similar suspicions," police said....