Uttarakhand Mob Brutally Attacks Mentally Ill Woman Suspected of Child Theft, Police Watch

March 9, 2026

On Sunday morning, a woman was attacked by a mob in Rudrapur, Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand, on suspicion of child theft. The incident occurred in a field in Thakur Nagar, where some children were playing. The woman approached the children and asked them to come with her. Seeing this, the parents and locals present there suspected her of child theft.

Tied to a pole and beaten, video of the incident goes viral
Upon expressing suspicion, the angry mob grabbed her, tied her to an electric pole, and beat her with kicks and punches. Bystanders filmed the entire incident, clearly showing some local women also slapping, kicking, and punching her.

Police attempted to take the woman to the police station
Upon receiving information, a police team led by SSI Mahesh Kandpal arrived at the scene. The mob’s anger was so intense that the attack continued even in the presence of police. After considerable effort, the police rescued the woman from the mob and took her to the Transit Camp police station.

Woman mentally ill, search for family continues
During the woman’s interrogation at the police station, it was revealed that she was mentally ill and was unable to give clear answers. City Superintendent of Police Prashant Kumar stated that the woman had previously caused a commotion at the police station due to mental health issues. The police released her and are trying to locate her family.

The woman had been roaming the area for several days
According to police, the woman had been roaming the area for the past 4-5 days. Locals were unaware of her mental health. The woman tried to free herself from the mob, but this is when the altercation escalated. Police clarified that the policemen were not attacking the woman and that their presence in the video was only to protect her.