Mob ties robbery suspect to tractor, brands him with hot wire in Rajgarh

BHOPAL: A youth accused of attempting to rob an elderly woman was allegedly tied to a tractor-trolley, thrashed and branded with a red-hot wire by villagers in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh district.

Video of the assault has gone viral.According to police, Govind Verma allegedly entered the house of 90-year-old Jatan Bai Sondhiya in Kharparas village around 11pm on Tuesday. The woman, who was sleeping alone, alleged that he tried to steal her silver anklets and remove her silver bangles. She woke up and raised an alarm, forcing the accused to flee.The next morning, villagers searched for Govind, caught him and brought him back to the village.

They allegedly tied his hands, beat him and later tied him to a tractor-trolley while questioning him.A video of the incident shows a crowd assaulting the youth as a young woman brings a heated iron wire and brands his leg. The victim can be seen writhing in pain while onlookers record the incident on their mobile phones. The video later surfaced on social media.The villagers eventually handed Govind over to the police.

Based on Jatan Bai's complaint, police have registered a case against Govind for house trespass and robbery. Stolen silver anklets were recovered from his possession, said police.After the assault video surfaced, police registered a separate case against four identified villagers, including Devraj and Lakhan, under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Police said more people involved in the assault are being identified from the viral video.