E-Paper
Man tied to pole, thrashed, head shaved over theft suspicion; 1 held in Ludhiana
Locals alleged that he had been involved in repeated thefts in the area and that police failed to act despite several complaints; cops deny claim
A man was tied to an electricity pole, thrashed and his head shaved by local residents and shopkeepers in Jodhewal on suspicion of theft.
Police have registered an FIR against unidentified persons and arrested a hairdresser, Ashok Kumar, in connection with the case.
The incident, reported from Noorwala Road on Sunday, came to light after a purported video of the assault surfaced on social media.
According to police, the video shows the man being beaten and publicly humiliated while bystanders recorded the episode. The man was not only assaulted but also had his hair and eyebrows shaved using an electric trimmer. In the video, he is seen pleading for mercy with folded hands but the assault continued unabated.
Locals alleged that the man had been involved in repeated thefts in the area and claimed that police had failed to act despite prior complaints.
However, police officials said no formal complaint had been lodged earlier and the man’s alleged involvement remains unverified.
Commissioner of police Swapan Sharma said a case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including those related to assault, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation and unlawful assembly, have been registered at the Basti Jodhewal police station against unidentified persons. “We will identify and arrest the accused soon,” he added.
Inspector Jasvir Singh, station house officer of Basti Jodhewal, said the police came to know about the incident only after the video surfaced. “No one has the right to take the law into their own hands. If there were allegations, the matter should have been reported,” he said.
