UP: Man tied to pole, thrashed on suspicion of theft in Pilibhit

Pilibhit (UP), Nov 4 (PTI) A man accused of theft was tied to a pole and brutally beaten by a group of people at a Ramlila fair here, police said on Tuesday.

The incident which took place in the Puranpur area on Monday, came to light after a video of the purported assault surfaced on social media, prompting police action.

The man was allegedly caught stealing a mobile phone and a gas cylinder from a shop, police said.

According to police, he was then tied to a wooden pole by a group of shopkeepers and beaten for several hours with sticks and kicks. The group also recorded the incident and circulated the video on social media.

Puranpur police station in-charge Pawan Pandey said after the video surfaced on social media, an FIR was registered against unidentified persons on the complaint of outpost in-charge Arun Kumar.

An investigation has been launched into the matter and efforts are on to identify and arrest those involved in the assault. PTI COR KIS OZ OZ