A man was seen getting beaten up with sticks in a video after being tied upside down to a tree on suspicion of theft in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur, the police said on Saturday, 30 April.
Mahavir Sooryavanshi, a watchman in a farmhouse, was thrashed by five people in a village that falls under the Sipat Police's jurisdiction in Bilaspur. He was also seen apologising repeatedly in the footage.
After the video went viral, the Sipat Police nabbed the three persons seen in the video, namely Manish Khare, Janu Bhargava, Yuvraj Khare, and a fourth, Bhim Kesharwani, who isn't seen. Another accused is a 15-year-old boy.
Allegation of Theft
Khare, one of the accused, claimed that Sooryavanshi attempted to trespass into his property to steal something on Wednesday night, after which he was caught and handed over to the police.
The police then released him with a warning on Thursday, after which the accused persons caught hold of him and assaulted him after hanging him upside down from a tree.
City Superintendent of Police, Bilaspur Kotwali, Shehil Sahu said that the accused identified as Manish Khare, Shivraj Khare and Janu Bhargav were taken into custody late on Friday evening, while Bhim Kesarwani and a 15-year-old boy were detained on Saturday.
"After we got the video, we launched a hunt for the accused and also registered a case under Section 307 (attempt to murder) and other sections,” Sahu said.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)