A woman belonging to a backward community in Maharashtra's Satara district was beaten up allegedly by four persons after she asked one of them to return Rs 2,000 which she had given him for cattle fodder, police said on Tuesday.
The incident took place at Panvan village under Man taluka in Satara on August 26, an official said, adding that the four accused have been arrested.
On August 25, the woman demanded Rs 2,000 from the main accused, Devdas Narale, whom she had given the money for the fodder of cattle, he said.
Even after repeated demands, Narale, who is from an upper caste, did not return the money and allegedly abused the woman and threatened her, the official said.
On Saturday morning, Narale along with three others went to the victim and started beating her up in front of villagers, he said.
A video of the incident went viral on social media platforms.
While beating her, the accused persons allegedly used criminal force to outrage her modesty, the official said.
The victim's son filed a complaint, following which the Mhaswad police registered an FIR under Indian Penal Code sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention), and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, he said.
The police arrested Narale and Pintu alias Shantaram Narale on Sunday, the official said, adding the other two accused - Santosh Shinde and Janappa Shinde - were nabbed on Monday evening.
A probe is on into the case, the police said.
Published 29 August 2023, 09:56 IST