Two young men were allegedly tied to a pole, beaten and subjected to electric shocks by a mob on suspicion of theft in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district, prompting police action and intervention by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
The incident reportedly took place on July 4 in Karmodiya village under the Raisen Kotwali police station limits. According to police, the two youths, who belong to the Bairagi community from Dhaniyakhedi village, were accused of stealing irrigation pump motors.
Investigators said the villagers allegedly took the youths to a farm, tied them to a pole and assaulted them in an attempt to force a confession and reveal the names of others allegedly involved in the theft. They were also reportedly given electric shocks using a device installed around farms to protect crops from wild animals.
The incident came to light after a video of the assault surfaced on social media on Saturday. The footage allegedly shows the victims surrounded by a mob while being beaten and subjected to electric shocks. The authenticity of the video has not been independently verified.
The NHRC took cognisance of the incident after its member, Priyank Kanoongo, shared the video on social media and said necessary directions were being issued.
Raisen Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Gupta said the two youths had earlier been taken to the police station by villagers, and several stolen irrigation pump motors were recovered during the theft investigation. However, allegations of mob torture surfaced only after the video emerged online.
Police have since registered a separate case against those involved in the assault. Two accused have been arrested, while efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the remaining individuals involved in the attack.
