Six people were arrested in Ajmer on Wednesday for allegedly brutally assaulting two boys over suspicion of goat theft, police said.
The accused allegedly abducted the minors, aged 14 and 17, tied them to a tree and thrashed them with a belt, they added.
The matter came to light after a video of the incident, which took place on Sunday, surfaced on social media, the police said.
An FIR was lodged in connection with the incident and a probe was launched, they added.
”So far, six people have been arrested in the case,” a police officer said.
According to the police, the victims and the accused stay in the same village in Ajmer’s Balad Ka Dara.
On Sunday, one Kana Ram (33) found one of his goats missing from his house and doubted the boys of stealing it, the police said.
Ram then gathered five of his neighbours, allegedly went to the teenagers’ houses, abducted them, and brought them to his place where they were brutally assaulted, they said.
The two boys were tied to a tree and were beaten up by the six persons with a belt, they added.
The police said there was no evidence that the children stole the goat.
Following the incident, the family of teh victims lodged a case against Ram, Mukesh (30), Bablu (23), Om Prakash (32), Sethi (23), and Hiralal (32) under sections 365 (abduction), 342, 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code along with relevant sections of the Juveniles Justice Act.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI)