Panaji, Sep 29 (IANS): Goa Police on Thursday arrested three persons for allegedly thrashing a mentally unstable person in the port town of Vasco suspecting him to be a child lifter.

Police Inspector Kapil Nayak told IANS that one Saudagar Rain (25), Basvraj Rathod (32), and Anwar Kaliger (26), were arrested in this connection.

As the rumour about a child lifter was doing rounds on the social media triggering panic, locals thrashed a mentally unstable person on Tuesday in the port town of Vasco on suspicions that he was a child lifter.

However, the police later clarified that the man was not a child lifter and that he was hospitalised after the incident. Vasco police said that the man had been admitted to the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (IPHB).

Dismissing the rumour, Goa Police on Wednesday assured the public that no such incident had taken place.

"Some schools are issuing advisories on the basis of incidents of attempted kidnappings. It is clarified that no such incidents have been reported and there is no such trend. While it is important to take precaution, we advise all to not believe in rumours as they might cause panic," Goa DGP Jaspal Singh tweeted.