New Delhi: Two young Dalit cousins were brutally assaulted by the staff at a two-wheeler showroom in Rajasthan’s Nagaur. The staff reportedly caught the brothers attempting to steal money from the showroom.
The attack occurred on Sunday, and became public after a video of the violence went viral on social media. In the video, men can be seen stripping the brothers, beating them and inserting a screwdriver dipped in petrol into one of their anus.
An FIR was lodged on Wednesday. “It was lunchtime and when the staff wasn’t around, the two youths were allegedly trying to steal money from the cash register of the motorcycle agency,” Panchaudi station house officer Rajpal Singh told Indian Express.
“It was a mob mentality. During questioning they (the staff members) said that they were angry and hence went quite far in punishing the alleged thieves,” Singh continued.
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The two victims have said that they were to the showroom to get a motorcycle serviced. “Initially, both sides had reached a compromise and no complaint was lodged with us. But once the videos went viral, we received a complaint and lodged an FIR under IPC sections for assault, wrongful confinement, as well as the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,” the SHO said.
Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal said the incident “shames humanity” and action would be taken against the accused. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot called the attack “horrific” and said the “culprits will be punished”.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called the violence “sickening” and urged the state government to take action. This instigated the Bharatiya Janata Party, which jumped in to remind Gandhi that his party is in power in the state.