New Delhi: A Muslim man from Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr was tied to a tree and asked to chant 'Jai Shree Ram'. The video has gained widespread attention and gone viral. 

The victim, identified as 25-year-old Sahil, works as a painter in Bulandshahr and is a daily wage labourer. He was brutally beaten by a group of men on allegations of theft. 

On June 13, Sahil left home but did not return that night. Sahil's mother, Noorbano, spoke to The Wire and said, "He didn't come back home on June 13 and 14. We saw a video of him. He was tied to a tree and forced to chant 'Jai Shree Ram'." 

Noorbano, who is also a labourer, started looking for Sahil and found out that he was at Kakod Police Station. She alleged that no one at the police station listened to them.

The viral video, recorded by one of the accused, shows Sahil being tied to a tree with his head half-shaven. He is forced to chant Jai Shree Ram'. 

After Sahil's video went viral on social media, Asaduddin Owaisi, Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad and chief of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, tweeted the video and criticised the police for not taking action against the culprits. Owaisi questioned where should Sahil go if he lodges a complaint against the oppression he has faced.

In response to Owaisi's tweet, Bulandshahr Police tweeted a statement from the Additional SP, stating, "A viral video on social media shows three youths from the village beating a person they suspected of theft. Two accused have been arrested and charges have been filed at Kakod Police Station."

Sahil's neighbour told The Wire that the allegations against him are completely false. He emphasised that Sahil is just a painter and has not done anything wrong.

The Wire also reached out to Sameer Ali, a long-time reporter from Bulandshahr, who mentioned that Sahil has a pending theft case registered against him, indicating a pattern of behaviour.

Regarding the police action, the reporter stated, "It became necessary for the police to take action due to the viral video."

The three accused, Saurabh Thakur, Gajendra, and Dhani Pandit, have been named in the FIR and have been arrested. Sahil's elder sister, Rubina, also spoke to The Wire, thanking the police for their intervention, as they would not have been able to fight the case themselves due to their difficult financial situation.

The Wire also reached out to the families of Saurabh, Gajendra, and Dhani, but they declined to speak with the media.

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