In Kanpur, a minor student who was preparing for competitive exams endured torture and physical abuse at the hands of senior students due to non-payment of money. Following the circulation of viral videos depicting the incident, the police arrested six individuals on Monday.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Tanay Chaurasia, Abhishek Kumar Verma, Yogesh Vishwakarma, Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, Hargovind Tiwari, and Shiva Tripathi.
According to law enforcement officials, the teenage student had come to Kanpur from Etawah to attend coaching classes for competitive exams. During his time at the coaching center, he came into contact with some senior students who gave him Rs 20,000 to participate in an online betting game.
After losing the money, the student was pressured by his seniors to repay them Rs 2 lakh. When he failed to do so, they confined him to a room and subjected him to repeated physical assaults.
The accused also recorded videos of the abuse, which captured scenes of kicking and punching directed at the student, including his private parts.
One of the videos displayed an accused individual attempting to burn the student’s hair, while another showed the student stripped naked with a brick tied to his private parts.
The assault persisted for several days until the student informed his parents, who subsequently lodged a complaint with the police in Etawah. However, the student’s family reported that the accused were released by the police after receiving a warning.
However, after one of the videos featuring the student went viral on social media on May 4, the Kanpur Police took action and apprehended the accused men.
Deputy Commissioner of Police RS Gautam stated that the accused have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Sections 147, 34, 343, 323, 500, 506, and 307. Additionally, they have been charged under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act and Section 67(b) of the Information Technology (IT) Act.
The police noted that these individuals operated as a gang and resided in a flat, where they targeted unsuspecting students, subjecting them to threats and blackmail.
