Palghar, July 22 (PTI) A mob thrashed four persons, including three men posing as transgenders, on Tuesday while accusing them of attempting to kidnap children in an auto rickshaw in Vasai taluka of Palghar district, police said.

The incident occurred in Kuranwadi area of Khochivade village, when three girls and a boy were walking home from school along the main road.

Also Read | Was a Megalodon Found on Australia Beach? Fact Check Reveals AI-Generated Clip Going Viral With Netizens Believing It To Be True.

"Four individuals, including three men posing as transgender and a rickshaw driver, allegedly tried to intercept the children and threatened them with a knife. The children resisted the attempt and raised an alarm," a police official said.

Hearing screams of the children, villagers rushed to the spot and thrashed all four suspects before handing them over to the police, he said.

Also Read | Thane Water Cut: TMC Announces 24-Hour Water Supply Disruption in Several Areas of Thane on July 25-26, Check Full List of Affected Areas.

Police have registered a case of kidnapping and recorded statements of the children and the accused.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)