Ludhiana: Theft suspect humiliated, paraded for over 2 hours

The incident sent shockwaves through the market and the city as stunned onlookers filmed the incident on their mobile phones, while no one intervened to stop the degrading assault

In a blatant violation of human rights, a man suspected of theft was publicly humiliated by shopkeepers in Gandhi Nagar Market on Sunday afternoon. Instead of seeking lawful recourse, a group of enraged shopkeepers took justice into their own hands, beating the man, tying his hands, and parading him around the crowded market with a humiliating board around his neck declaring “This man is a thief who steals goods from shops and runs away.”

The suspect was dragged through nearly every lane of the market for over two hours. (HT Photo)

The incident sent shockwaves through the market and the city as stunned onlookers filmed the incident on their mobile phones, while no one intervened to stop the degrading assault. The suspect was dragged through nearly every lane of the market for over two hours.

According to witnesses, the man was caught stealing a bundle of shirts from a garment shop. When confronted by a rickshaw puller, who alerted the shopkeeper. The shopkeepers thrashed the man forcing him to carry a placard that publicly branded him a thief.

Even more shocking is that after hours of public degradation, the accused was simply let go—without any involvement of the police. The police were later confirmed they had not received any official complaint about the incident.

Inspector Gaganpreet Singh, SHO of Division Number 4 Police Station, stated, “Shopkeepers should not have taken the law into their own hands. Proper legal channels should have been followed. We will investigate this matter and take appropriate action.”

Similar incident earlier this year

A similar incident was reported in January this year when a woman, her three daughters, including a minor and son’s faces were blackened, following which they were made to wear placards around their neck with a message ‘I am a thief and I accept my crime’ and were paraded in the streets of Ekjot Nagar of Bahadurke road. After the video of the incident went viral the Basti Jodhewal police lodged an FIR against the owner of a garment unit, its manager and a factory worker.