The boy has told police that the viral video had shamed him and he was very upset.
Lucknow:
A 16-year-old boy in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi was forced to drink alcohol, stripped and thrashed by his classmates after the Class 10 student asked one of them to return Rs 200 he had borrowed.
The boy has told police that the suspects hit him with belts and sticks, recorded the assault on their phones and circulated the visuals. One of the videos shows the suspects verbally abusing the boy and asking him to strip. When he pleads with them, they slap him across the face, the video shows.
The boy has now approached police with his family members, saying the viral video had shamed him and he was very upset. They have filed a complaint and police said they are investigating the matter.
The boy has told police that he lent Rs 200 to a friend. When he did not return the amount, the boy asked for it, and this led to an altercation about two months back.
This Monday, the boy and a friend of his were chatting in a park. Four of his classmates came to the park in a car and called him. Among the four was the boy who borrowed money from him. As soon as he approached the car, the boys pulled him inside and told him that they were going to the nearby forest area to watch Army’s target practice.
On reaching there, the boy found two others were waiting. They were drunk and forced the boy to drink too, he has alleged. Then the assault began. The boy has alleged that the six boys hit him with sticks and belts and forced him to strip. He has told police that he kept pleading with them to let him go, but they continued to thrash him and film the assault.
The suspects also threatened him that they would get him murdered if he went to police. The boy someone managed to escape the spot and fled to his home. Two days later, the suspects shared the video online. The boy has told police that he is embarrassed to even step out in this neighbourhood after the video went viral.
