Kasganj (UP), Jun 25 (IANS): Two minor boys aged 10 and 14 years, were mercilessly thrashed, tonsured, tied with a rope and paraded around the village over accusations of stealing Rs 5,000 from a shop. However, no money was recovered from them.

The incident took place in Wahidpur Mafi under Dholna limits in Kasganj District. Some villagers also made videos of the incident and circulated them on social media.

In the purported clips, the children could be seen being pulled by a rope, abused and paraded with people slapping and punching them.

SHO of Dholna, Ajayveer Singh, said, "A local grocery shopkeeper accused the two boys of theft on Sunday and brutally assaulted them. They were rescued by the police.

“On Monday, an FIR was registered against five people, including shopkeeper Hariprasad, brother Ram Chandra and nephew Raja, under IPC Sections 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult) and 342 (wrongful confinement) following a complaint by the kids' mother.

“Four of the accused, including the shopkeeper, were subsequently arrested."

ASP (Kasganj), Rajesh Kumar Bharti said that Hariprasad accused the two boys of taking money from his shop's cash drawer.

"He claimed that he caught them red-handed and raised an alarm in the village. A crowd gathered, and Hariprasad and his kin 'punished' them. We are thoroughly investigating the matter," the ASP added.

Refuting all the allegations the boys' mother, whose husband works as a labourer in Delhi, said, "My sons went to buy a packet of salt from the grocery shop. They didn't steal anything. They just touched a few things at the shop. No money was recovered from them. Also, the shopkeeper was unable to produce any evidence in support of his false claims. Instead, he started abusing me when I confronted him."