After the video went viral on social media, sources said the Nepal embassy had raised the issue with Indian authorities, at the state and central levels.
Varanasi| On Friday, the police here arrested four persons after a video surfaced on social media in which a Nepalese citizen’s head was forcefully tonsured with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ inscribed on it. He was also being forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and slogans against Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli.
Arun Pathak, linked to Vishwa Hindu Sena Sangathan, has been named as the main accused in the FIR registered at Bhelupur police station. “All arrested persons claim that they are members of the same outfit — Vishwa Hindu Sena Sangathan. Pathak is absconding… Those arrested are Santosh Pandey, Raju Yadav, Amit Dubey and Ashish Mitra,” SP (Varanasi City) Vikas Chandra Tripathi was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
“There are three others who were part of the group that shaved the man’s head,” Tripathi further added.
The accused have been charged under various sections of IPC including public mischief, defiling place of worship with intent to insult religion, and Section 67 of the IT Act. Two more sections were added later comprising of one for criminal conspiracy and other for promoting communal enmity and relevant sections of the Criminal Law Amendment Act.
After the video went viral on social media, sources said the Nepal embassy had raised the issue with Indian authorities, at the state and central levels.
UP DGP’s office, in a statement, said that instructions were issued to senior policemen in Varanasi to take strict action.
In the video that has gone viral, an unknown man was purportedly being forced to shout slogans against Nepal and its PM Oli. He is also forced to praise India for providing “livelihood opportunities to Nepal nationals.”
“In the video, a person can be seen with his head shaved. In the (Facebook) post, it is written that heads of Nepalese people should be shaved and ‘Jai Shri Ram’ be written on them so that no Oli can have the courage to say anything about Lord Ram,” said the complaint registered by police after the video went viral.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
