BARPETA, ASSAM: The shocking incident of alleged moral policing and vigilantism has sparked outrage among the public in Barpeta district of Assam. Two teenagers were tied up to a pole, brutally beaten and forcibly had their heads shaved after being accused of stealing pigeons.
The incident happened near the residence of Omar Uddin, the headman of Saorar Bhitha village, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Baghbar police station.
Local sources say the two minors allegedly stole pigeons from the house of a local man named Hamed Ali in Balajan Char. Instead of reporting the alleged theft to the authorities, a group of villagers took the law into their own hands, subjecting the teenagers to severe physical punishment and public humiliation.
Eyewitnesses reported that the minors were tied to a pole and mercilessly beaten in full public view before their heads were forcibly shaved. A video purportedly capturing the assault and humiliation has since gone viral on social media, drawing widespread condemnation and raising serious concerns over the law and order situation in the region.
The minors were tied to a pole and mercilessly beaten before everyone's eyes before their heads were forcibly shaved, witnesses said. The video of the assault and humiliation was later shared on social media, sparking widespread condemnation and concerns about the state of the law and order in the region.
The victims were eventually rescued after their family members arrived at the scene and took them home.
The incident has caused a massive protest by the locals and human rights activists, especially as it happened in front of the members of Morabhaj village's Village Defence Party (VDP). People are questioning why the minors were subjected to brutal "mob justice" rather than being handed over to the police for a legal investigation
Meanwhile, as anger grows in the Baghbar area, residents and activists are asking for a comprehensive investigation and for the law to be enforced harshly on all those involved in the assault and public humiliation of the minors.
Barpeta police are yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.