UP: Three booked for beating man who refused to tie saffron flag replacing a blue one

Sultanpur (UP), Sep 7 (PTI) Three people allegedly thrashed a Dalit man while hurling casteist abuses at him for refusing to tie a saffron flag to a stick on an electric pole to which a blue flag was already attached, police said on Sunday.

A video of the incident was shared widely on social media on Saturday.

According to the police, Vijay Kumar, a resident of Semri Rajapur village, was going home at 3 pm on Saturday when Mausam Singh, Daulat Singh and Saurabh Tiwari told him to tie a saffron flag to an electric pole.

A blue flag was already fluttering there.

When Kumar refused, the trio beat him up with sticks and hurled casteist abuses at him, police said. Hearing the commotion, villagers came to his rescue, and the accused fled.

Station House Officer (SHO) of Lambhua police station, Sandeep Kumar Rai, on Sunday said a case has been registered against the three accused on the complaint of the victim, and an investigation has been initiated.

The FIR has been registered under the BNS and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the police official said. PTI COR CDN NSD NSD