Police have arrested three people in connection with the assault on the boy
A 12-year-old boy suspected of stealing money from a road-side tea stall was tied to a pillar, stripped naked and beaten in Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad on Monday morning.
A gut-wrenching video widely shared online shows the boy, naked and bound to the pillar, crying and struggling to get free as men stand around and observe.
The shocking incident took this morning. The boy was rescued by police and given a medical check-up, after which he was returned to his home. Three people have been arrested, police told NDTV.
Local reports indicate a father-son duo is among the arrested. A police case has been filed.
The boy - whom reports said was between 10 and 12 years old - suffered injuries on his arm and back, in addition to the mental trauma of public humiliation.
Sarvesh Kumar Mishra, the Superintendent of Police for Firozabad City, said action was taken after the video went viral online. "A viral video showed a child was stripped naked, tied to (a) pole and beaten. We went there, rescued the child and contacted the family. Child is being counselled..."
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"Three people have been arrested and further action is being taken..." the senior cop said, adding, "I would like to tell everyone if any other such incident happens anywhere, strict action will be taken."
The boy's mother said she had rushed to the spot and tried to save her child.
"Somebody stole money from a tea stall... everybody said my child did it. The people in the locality beat him up. I came to know about this when others told me my child was being beaten. When I reached I asked what was the problem... they told me son had stolen," the mother told NDTV.
"I asked, 'where is the stolen money?' There was no reply. Still they beat him with sticks and slippers."