The attacker and a 14-year-old, who shot the video, have been taken into custody.
A disturbing video from Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam, which is being widely shared, shows a 16-year-old boy repeatedly hitting three children - aged 6, 9 and 11 - with his slipper and asking them to chant a religious slogan. The teenager also verbally abuses the three boys, accuses them of learning to smoke cigarettes and asks for the phone numbers of their relatives.
Police officials said a case has been registered and the teenager and another 14-year-old, who shot the video, have been detained.
The video, whose authenticity has not been independently verified by NDTV, is reportedly from an under-construction amusement park near Amritsagar Pond in Ratlam. The children, residents of the city's Manakchowk area, can be seen crying, chanting the slogan and shielding their faces from the teenager's attacks, saying they will not repeat whatever they have done.
The incident occurred about a month and a half ago but the video surfaced recently, sparking anger. A crowd assembled outside a local police station on Thursday night, prompting the deployment of additional personnel, but dispersed after authorities promised action.
A case was filed against the 16-year-old and 14-year-old boys for assault, abuse, issuing threats and hurting religious sentiments. They have been taken into custody.