Police on Friday arrested two persons for attacking vehicles of doctors besides others at Joda Talab under Bariatu police station area of the state capital.

Those arrested were identified as Ibrar and Shakib alias Thuppa. They are in the age group of 25 to 30, and police said they are drug addicts.

However, before the two were arrested, rumours spread that doctors were being targeted by a community.

Acting officer in-charge of Bariatu police station Tirth Raj Tiwary informed about the arrests, saying that the action was taken following information of attack on the vehicle a physician, Dr Geeta Prasad, who is associated with Samford Hospital, when she was on way to her hospital from her residence in Bariatu.

“The men stopped the vehicle of the lady doctor and damaged its wind screen with a stone. When the police came to know, action was taken,” Tiwary said.

Ranchi senior superintendent of police (SSP) Anish Gupta said: “They are drug addicts and arresting them was possible with the help of CCTV footage. Before attacking the lady doctor, they had also attacked two other doctors, Dr Ameer and Dr Sarfaraz.”

Asked specifically about the rumours floating around of doctors being targeted, the SSP said: “It was not any targeted attack against anyone. Under the influence of drugs, they targeted all those who passed through the Joda Talab area irrespective of their profession.”

Contacted for comment, Dr Prasad confirmed the sequence of events.

A locality resident said addicts often create problems for those passing through the Joda Talab locality.

“The two men were sitting in Bariatu Basti when police arrested them and brought them to the police station. Even at the time of arrest they were under the influence of drugs,” the resident claimed.