Man held in Jharkhand for tying 7-yr-old to tree and thrashing him on suspicion of theft

Ramgarh, Jan 11 (PTI) A man was arrested for allegedly tying a seven-year-old boy to a tree and brutally thrashing him over suspicion of theft in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district, police said on Sunday.

The arrest followed the circulation of a 20-second purported video on social media, which showed the minor with his hands and legs bound, being subjected to physical assault and forced to stand in a semi-naked position.

PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the video clip.

The incident took place on January 9 in Diesel Colony, within the jurisdiction of Patratu police station. The accused, identified as Bablu Prasad alias Tikadhari, was apprehended on Saturday.

“We have arrested the main accused, Bablu Prasad, after analysing the viral video and sent him to judicial custody on Saturday,” Shivlal Gupta, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Patratu police station, told PTI.

According to the police, an FIR has been registered under several sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The police action was based on a formal complaint lodged by the victim’s elder brother.

The complainant alleged that Prasad, along with two others from the same colony, intercepted the boy and accused him of stealing money. The minor was then reportedly tied to a tree and assaulted.

Efforts are underway to identify and nab the other individuals involved in the incident, officials added. PTI RPS COR RPS NN