NEW DELHI, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Indian police have arrested 19 people in connection with Friday night's horrific lynching of two youths in the northeastern state of Assam that has triggered massive outrage across the country.
A mob of hundreds had beaten to death a 29-year-old and a 30-year-old youth, while they were on an adventure tourism in a village in Assam's Karbi Anglong district, 200 km from capital Guwahati, suspecting them to be child-lifters.
"With the latest arrest of three more persons early on Monday morning, the total number of arrests in the case now stands at 19. Some 16 people were earlier arrested. A massive manhunt is on to nab other accused in the case," local police chief G.V. Siva Prasad told the media.
According to police, those arrested so far included one person who had allegedly spread the child-lifter scare on social media.
Meanwhile, state Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has issued a stern warning to people spreading fake rumors on social media. "People found circulating rumors would be dealt with very firmly," he told the media in Guwahati after holding a high-level security meeting Sunday.