(Trigger Warning: Descriptions of physical assault)
After a video of purported Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shrikant Tyagi allegedly abusing a woman went viral recently, a similar video from Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district emerged on social media on Tuesday, 9 August.
The video shows purported BJP youth leader Rituraj Chaturvedi thrashing a retired army man inside his barber shop in Rewa.
It is said to have happened on Sunday, 7 August, when ex-serviceman Dinesh Kumar Mishra was reportedly thrashed by Chaturvedi and his friends. The incident was recorded through a CCTV camera installed inside the barber shop and went viral on Tuesday.
Confirming the incident, Anil Sonkar, additional superintendent of police, Rewa district, said that a case has been registered under sections of trespassing and causing hurt and an investigation into the matter is underway.
"On the complaint of the victim, a case has been registered in Amahiya police station against the accused under the IPC Sections 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restrain) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), among others," Sonkar said.
"The accused are being identified on the basis of the viral video. If the accused have already been booked in any cases, then action will be taken on that as well," he added.
Viral Photos of Accused With BJP Leaders Raise Questions
Multiple photos of the accused, Rituraj Chaturvedi, with Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP state president VD Sharma, and Rewa MLA Rajesh Shukla went viral after a purported video of him thrashing a retired army man was circulated on social media.
"I was sitting in my shop yesterday evening when Rituraj Chaturvedi, alias Bachhu, and Anurag Mishra entered my shop and started attacking me. Whatever has happened to me is an insult to the soldiers of our country," said Dinesh Mishra.
Mishra said that he opened a barber shop as he was unfit to work elsewhere. He claimed that Chaturvedi had earlier used his contacts to initiate action against him. Mishra added that his complaints had not been registered by the authorities.
In the video, Chaturvedi and another man are seen thrashing the retired army man repeatedly. Both of them are seen slapping and kicking Mishra besides vandalising his shop.
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