Rourkela, Oct. 13: Police today took a 10-year-old boy, whom a mob was beating up, into protective custody.

It is alleged that the kid was involved in mobile theft from houses. The police said a few people were found assaulting the boy near Sector-I this morning.

He was allegedly involved in stealing mobile phones from the houses nearby. Catching him red handed, the mob bashed him after tying him to a pole. Sector-I police station inspector-in-charge Pratibha Majhi said the cops rescued the child from the mob and brought him to Sector-III police station.

"The boy was scared seeing the crowd. So, we are keeping him with us and will hand him over to his parents," said Majhi, adding that actions were being taken according to the juvenile justice law.

The police said the boy stayed at a slum in the city.

District child protection officer Sribanta Jena said the incident had not yet come to his notice. "Nothing more can be done in this case as it is a petty crime. The police are trained to handle such minor cases," he said. "Had the magnitude of the crime been big, the case would have been referred to the Juvenile Justice Board."

"In the present case, the police will counsel the child and his parents and then hand him over to them," he said.

Local residents said such thefts had become common. "Local kids often enter our homes finding the doors open and flee with small things. This boy was unlucky and got caught," said a local resident.