Assault, humiliation and alleged extortion recorded on video
Police in Saharanpur have launched an inquiry after a video emerged showing a man being assaulted, suspended from a rope and allegedly extorted by villagers in the Mirzapura police station area. Local authorities said they were working to identify and apprehend those seen in the footage.
According to the video circulating on social media and accounts obtained by the police, the victim — a married man from the Mirzapura area — went to a nearby village, Kasimpur, on the night of 9 September to meet a woman. There, family members of the woman detained him, beat him and suspended him from a rope.
"The video shows the young man hanging upside down from a rope, with several people standing nearby," a police official said, adding that investigators had begun tracing the participants.
Family members of the victim discovered he had not returned home the following morning and reached the village, where a village council (panchayat) was reportedly convened. The victim's relatives alleged that money was demanded as a condition for his release.
Claims of payment and distribution of money
The victim's family has claimed that a total of ₹5 lakh was paid to secure his release. They said that of this amount, ₹3 lakh went to the girl's family and ₹2 lakh was handed over to intermediaries. Police described these as allegations and said the claim was part of their ongoing probe.
| Detail | Reported information |
|---|---|
| Incident date | Night of 9 September |
| Location | Kasimpur village, Mirzapura police station area, Saharanpur |
| Alleged duration detained | About 12 hours |
| Reported amount paid | ₹5 lakh (₹3 lakh to family; ₹2 lakh to intermediaries, as claimed) |
Evidence and police action
Investigating officers said the video showed the victim being abused while suspended, with at least one person pulling his hair and others spinning him. The footage appears to capture the incident from start to near the end of the confinement, prompting police to prioritise identification of the accused.
“Based on the video, police are trying to identify and arrest the accused,” a senior official at the local station told reporters. The official said forensic examination of the footage and witness statements from both families are being collected. No arrests had been reported by late afternoon.
- Victim: married man from Mirzapura police station area.
- Alleged offence: assault, unlawful confinement, extortion.
- Action: local police probing viral video, seeking to identify perpetrators.
Community and legal stakes
Incidents of extra-judicial punishment by villagers or informal councils raise concerns about rule of law and the safety of those involved in consensual or clandestine relationships, particularly in semi-rural parts of Uttar Pradesh. Legal experts say such matters, even if framed as family disputes or honour-related grievances, fall under criminal statutes when they involve physical violence, confinement and extortion.
Police sources said the investigation will determine whether additional charges such as attempted murder, criminal intimidation, assault and extortion apply, and whether any persons who recorded or circulated the video may face action under provisions governing privacy and public order.
Investigators asked anyone with information or additional footage to come forward. The case has drawn local attention after the video spread on social media platforms, prompting district authorities to urge calm and to assure residents that the incident is being investigated thoroughly.
