Four arrested for beating three minors near Bengaluru

Four persons were arrested for allegedly severely beating three minor boys for "stealing" money in Bengaluru Rural district last week, police said on Sunday.

"A criminal case has been booked under the Pocso Act against six accused, but only four have been arrested, as two others are absconding," Superintendent of Police, Bengaluru Rural, Amit Singh told IANS from Hoskote, 30km from here.

The arrested are Masthan, Pasha, Zabiulla and Ayub, while Shamsher and Nurulla are still at large.

Meanwhile, three policemen, including sub-inspector Dayanand and constables Raju and Jairam of the Hoskote police station were suspended on Sunday for not filing the case against the suspects soon after the boys' parents complained about the incident.

Though the incident occurred on Thursday (June 30), it came to light on Saturday after a video showing the accused beating up the boys went viral on social media and local news channels aired the footage.

According to the FIR, the boys, aged 14-15 years, went to a general store to buy a notebook but were caught by its owner Masthan for allegedly stealing money from his cash box, taken in a car to the outskirts of the town and beaten with iron rods and sticks after being stripped.

The parents, however, claimed that police refused to register their complaint and did not act against the accused till Friday even after the boys named them and gave their address.

Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson Kripa Alva sought a detailed report from police on the brutal assault of the minors.

"I have directed police to investigate the case and appear before the commission on July 12 along with the accused," Alva told reporters here.

--IANS

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