Police arrest two after video of youth’s assault goes viral

Patna: In a swift response to a viral video showing an assault inside a local supermarket, Patna police arrested two people involved in the incident.The arrests followed widespread outrage on social media over the footage, which showed a youth being assaulted and abused, where the attackers allegedly mentioned deputy CM and home minister Samrat Chaudhary.The accused were identified as Rashid Iqbal, a resident of Sabzibagh under Pirbahore police station area, and Gorakh Giri, a resident of Mithapur bus stand. Both were associated with the mart—Giri as an employee, while Rashid Iqbal was previously fired by the management and was working as a supplier at the time of the incident.City SP (east) Parichay Kumar said on Monday that the youth was caught while attempting to steal clothing items from the store.

He was subsequently assaulted by the duo on the premises. “Rashid, who appears prominently in the video, was previously employed as a floor manager at the mart, where the incident took place, but left or was removed from the position in April 2025.“At the time of the incident, he was working as an external supplier, delivering goods to the store. He was present when the theft was found, leading to his involvement in the confrontation.

The second suspect, Giri, is employed at the mart for cleaning and maintenance duties,” Kumar said during a press conference.While the video raised questions about the motive behind mentioning the deputy CM’s name during the beating, interrogations after arrest did not yield a clear reason. “The suspects claimed the assault stemmed solely from the theft attempt. No evidence linked the incident to any external disputes or political affiliation,” the SP said.Clarifying misconceptions from the video, the SP said that no Bihar Police or Patna police personnel were present or involved.He added: “An FIR was registered at Kankarbagh police station, invoking relevant sections of the law. Both suspects remain in custody. Additionally, the individuals recorded an apology video, which authorities plan to share as part of the ongoing proceedings.”