MP: Police detain 3 suspects for thrashing 2 boys over theft; hunt on for main accused

Police have detained three suspects and are searching for the main accused in a case of torturing two boys who were beaten up and dragged by a vehicle for allegedly stealing cash in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city, an official said on Monday.

The incident took place on Saturday and a video of it had surfaced on social media.

Rajendra Nagar police station in-charge Ajay Kumar Mishra said three persons have been taken into custody on the suspicion of being involved in torturing the two boys, aged between 13 and 17 years, for allegedly stealing money from a vehicle. The main accused, a vegetable trader from Khandwa district, is absconding since the incident, he said. “The trader’s house was locked and his family members were also missing. We are searching for him,” the official said. Another police official said the trader had reached Indore’s Devi Ahilyabai Holkar fruit-vegetable market on Saturday carrying sacks of onion in a small freight vehicle. The boys were charged with stealing cash kept in the vehicle, he said.

A purported video of the incident showed the boys being tied to the vehicle with a rope and questioned about the stolen cash using abusive words.

The video showed the vehicle suddenly starting and the boys being dragged on the ground some distance along with it. Some onlookers then started shouting and stopped the vehicle.