Minor boy caught stealing chips beaten up, paraded naked in Shimla district; 7 held

A 15-year-old boy caught stealing a packet of chips from a shop was allegedly beaten up and paraded naked in this district, police said on Sunday. Seven people have been arrested in connection with this.

The "shameful" incident occurred on July 31 after the minor, who hails from a poor Nepalese family, was caught allegedly stealing by the shop's owner in Rohru town, Shimla Superintendent of Police (SP) Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi told PTI.

Meanwhile, the boy's mother died the next day due to a liver ailment for which she had been hospitalised.

The SP added that the video of the boy being paraded by the men surfaced online a couple of days later and seven people were booked under sections 341 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 342 and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC, section 14 of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act based on a complaint by the boy's father.

Reacting to the incident, Leader of the Opposition in the state Jai Ram Thakur said such cruel acts would not be tolerated in Dev Bhoomi Himachal. He added that the law-and-order situation has deteriorated in the state.

SP Gandhi said four people were arrested for assault, wrongful confinement and parading the minor naked and three more were held for recording the episode on video and sharing it. Eight mobile phones have been confiscated from the accused.

Strict action would be ensured against the accused so that such incidents are not repeated, he added.