Rape accused thrashed, tied to bullock cart and paraded naked in UP's Bahraich

Bahraich: A man booked for rape was allegedly tied to a bullock cart, assaulted and paraded naked by locals in the Visheshwarganj area of this Uttar Pradesh district. Police registered a case on Friday after a video of the incident became widely circulated on social media.

The video purports to show the 22-year-old man, with his lower body stripped, tied to a bullock cart. Multiple men and women can be heard in the background, with some also being heard inciting a dog to attack him and others encouraging a thrashing. A voice can be heard saying, "Let it go, what if he dies?" After the video became widely circulated on Thursday, the victim's family filed a complaint with the local police.

"Based on a written complaint by a woman, an FIR has been registered against unidentified individuals under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for assault and causing harm," Deputy Superintendent of Police Ramesh Pandey said on Friday.

Pandey said the complainant alleged that her brother-in-law was tied with ropes and beaten near a village on April 3.

"The family arranged for his treatment and later, on Thursday, they saw the video on social media… They have demanded strict action against those involved," he said.

Visheshwarganj SHO Gyan Singh told PTI, "Though the incident involves individuals from two different communities, there is no evidence of communal tension. However, police forces have been deployed in the village as a precautionary measure." Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Ramanand Prasad Kushwaha said the man had been booked in a rape case lodged by a woman belonging to a different community from the same village. The alleged incident occurred in early April but the complaint was filed several days later. He had been absconding since the FIR was registered.

Kushwaha added that the assault had not been reported to the police before the video went viral.

"A separate case has now been registered regarding the assault and investigations are underway in both the rape case and the mob violence matter," he said.