LUCKNOW: Amethi police have arrested three people after multiple videos went viral on Friday, purportedly showing them “torturing and thrashing” three Dalit youths on the suspicion of bicycle theft.
Those arrested were identified as Sachin Yadav, Prem Yadav and Dayaram Yadav.
Three others named in the case — Durgaprasad, Sandy Yadav and Manoj Yadav — are still at large.
SP Amethi Dinesh Singh said, several videos of three and two minutes surfaced on Friday, in which some Dalits are being made to do squats and thrashed by a stick at Bandoi village of Munshiganj police station, following which CO Gaurganj Gurmeet Singh was asked to conduct a probe.
Singh said, the victims — Jaiprakash, Sushen, and Rohit — claimed that on June 6, Sachin asked them to come to Baba Dham.
“When we reached the spot, we were thrashed and hurled with the choicest of expletives about our caste,” said complainant Jaiprakash.
He said, “Sachin’s other accomplices claimed that we had stolen the bicycle of one Bashir and will have to pay for it.” “My father Kalika Prasad was forced to pay Rs1,000 to Bashir for the bicycle and was also mercilessly thrashed.
The accused also thrashed the wife of one Satish, Kesh Kumari,” he said.
Those arrested have been booked under charges of rioting, criminal intimidation and punishment for wrongful confinement.
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015 has also been slapped on them.