UP: 4 arrested for flogging, shaving man’s head; 3 cops suspended

The Bulanshahr police of Uttar Pradesh arrested a total of four individuals, one of whom was a minor, in connection with the alleged public flogging of a 28-year-old Muslim daily wage worker on June 14.

The victim reportedly faced violence on the suspicion of stealing a mobile phone in Wair village.

Along with the arrests, Sub-inspector Rajendra Singh, constable Saurabh Kumar and Kakod police station in-charge Amar Singh were suspended by Bulandshahr Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shlok Kumar.

In a viral video, the victim identified as Sahil Khan could be seen tied to a tree, his head was tonsured and the assailants flogged him while forcing him to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’.

Following the outrage online, the cops initially arrested two of the accused, Saurabh Thakur and Gajendra, and nabbed the third accused Dhami, along with a 15-year-old minor boy, who shaved the victim’s head, Sunday evening. The minor was sent to a juvenile home.

On June 15, the victim was taken into custody by the police after they allegedly found a knife in his possession and took no action against the alleged perpetrators of violence even though his sister approached them after witnessing an alleged video of the torture.

The SSP stated that new directions had been issued for a new investigation into the Arms Act charges on which the daily wager was detained and imprisoned. He stated that the revised report will be filed in the local court as soon as possible so that Sahil could be freed from jail.

The SSP had already ordered an investigation into the event and urged Superintendent of Police Surendra Nath Tiwari to produce a report as soon as possible. A First Information Report (FIR) was filed against the accused on Saturday.

On Saturday, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against the accused by Rubeena, the victim’s sister. She stated in her complaint to the local police station that her brother earns a daily wage. She told the police that he left home on June 14 to whitewash a house in the village, a report by The Indian Express said.

“My brother did not return home till late at night, and when I saw a video on my mobile in which my brother was tied to a tree, beaten and forced to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’, I rushed to Kakod police station. But the police refused to lodge my complaint and arrested my brother on June 15,” the reported quoted Rubeena.