A Dalit man was tied to a tree and thrashed by a group of people in Mohanpura village of Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district on the suspicion that he had stolen a goat from a house. The incident, which took place on Friday last week, came to light when its video clip went viral on social media.
Similar thefts were earlier reported in the village, but there was no trace of the thief. Some villagers suspected that Dalit youth Ramesh Balai was the culprit, as he was allegedly seen roaming around the spot.
Some villagers forcibly took Ramesh from Mali Kheda roundabout near Mohanpura and tied him to a tree. The youth was beaten mercilessly though he pleaded innocence and said he did not know anything about the goats.
A villager shot a video of the incident and posted it on the social media groups. Alerted by the video, the police swung into action and launched a probe. Mandalgarh DSP G.S. Rathore said a case was registered based on the testimony of an eyewitness, as the victim could not be traced immediately.
The police have identified and arrested seven persons on charges of abducting and beating the Dalit and detained eight others under Section 151 of Criminal Procedure Code for interrogation.
