Rape accused tied to bullock cart, stripped and beaten by locals in UP’s

A 22-year-old man, accused in a rape case, was publicly humiliated and assaulted by a group of villagers in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district. The incident surfaced after a disturbing video went viral on social media, showing the man stripped from the waist down, tied to a bullock cart, and being assaulted by locals.

In the video, men and women can be heard encouraging violence, with some provoking a dog to attack the accused. Amid the chaos, a voice is distinctly heard saying, "Let it go, what if he dies?" highlighting the extreme brutality of the mob.

Following the circulation of the video on Thursday, the man's family filed a formal complaint with the police. Deputy Superintendent of Police Ramesh Pandey confirmed that an FIR has been registered against unidentified persons under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to assault and causing harm.

The victim’s family alleged that the assault took place on April 3, but they refrained from approaching authorities until the video went viral. They had initially arranged private medical treatment for the injured man before deciding to seek legal action.

According to officials, the accused was already booked in a rape case lodged by a woman from a different community within the same village. Visheshwarganj SHO Gyan Singh clarified that while the incident involved members of two different communities, no communal tension has been observed so far, though police have been deployed as a precaution.

Additional Superintendent of Police Ramanand Prasad Kushwaha stated that investigations are underway in both the rape allegation and the mob assault case. He added that the accused had been absconding since the filing of the initial rape complaint.