Muslim boy beaten for entering temple to drink water, man arrested: Cops

A man has been arrested from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh after a video of him mercilessly thrashing a boy who had gone to a temple to drink water, was widely shared on social media.

The undated video clip begins with the man holding the boy by his shoulders and arms, and telling his accomplice, "Dono ka chehra aana chahiye (both the faces should be seen)". A male voice behind the camera readily agrees.

Then the man, dressed in a blue T-shirt, asks, "What is your name? What is your father's name," making it clear that the boy is a Muslim.

Asked what he was doing in the temple, the boy said, "Came to drink water".

Then the beating begins. The man hits the boy multiple times on his head and twists his right arm. When the boy falls on the ground, he is stamped on and repeatedly kicked. The boy is seen helplessly trying to shield himself.

The police said the man has been identified as Shringi Nandan Yadav, an engineering graduate from Bihar's Bhagalpur. He is unemployed and was staying in the temple for the last three months, the police said.

He was arrested after the video was brought to the police's attention on social media.

"Two videos have gone viral on social video. In one video, a man can be seen spitting on food items. He has been arrested and a case has been filed against him. The other video shows a child being beaten by a man. The accused has also been arrested and a case filed against him. The police, through these arrests, want to make it clear that those involved in such activities won't be spared and action will be taken against them as per law," a senior officer of the local police told the media.

The Ghaziabad Police also tweeted to say that taking "immediate cognizance of the video, Shringi Nandan Yadav, son of Ashwai Kumari Ydav, residents in the Gopalpur Police Station limits in Bihar's Bhagalpr, have been arrested. A case has been registered and formal procedures were done," Ghaziabad Police tweeted.

"The police's strong message is that in such cases, a case will be registered against such persons and legal actions will be taken," senior police officer Iraj Raja said.

(NDTV)