Mob thrashes three Dalit youths over theft bid in U.P.

Video of incident sparks outrage

Three Dalit youths were publicly stripped and thrashed by a mob after they were allegedly caught during a robbery bid in a village in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh, the police said on Sunday.

A video of the incident was widely shared on social media, leading to much outrage.

Jaunpur Superintendent of Police Vipin Mishra said that on the intervening night of July 5 and 6, the three youths were trying to break the lock of the customer care centre of the Union Bank branch, under the Sarai Khwaja police station.

When the watchman woke up and raised an alarm, the three youths tried to flee but one of them was caught by the villagers, Mr. Mishra said.

The youth held captive by the villagers led them to his two partners the next day, said the officer.

The three were later handed over to the police.

The police are probing both cases — the theft attempt and the beating by the mob, Mr. Mishra said, adding that those involved in the thrashing of the youth were being identified.

The footage of the incident shows the three youths, stripped to their undergarment, being pushed around, kicked and beaten with slippers, belts and sticks. They were also verbally abused.

While the names and background of the three youths were not known, a spokesperson for SP Jaunpur said they belonged to the Dalit community.

Describing the incident as serious, Brij Lal, chairperson of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission, U.P., said he would ensure that those involved in the thrashing of the Dalits would get the strictest punishment. Talking to a news channel, Mr. Lal said law should take its own course.