A shocking case of vigilante justice has emerged from Kharparas village in Rajgarh district, where a young man accused of robbing an elderly woman was tied up, brutally assaulted, and branded with a red-hot iron wire by villagers.

The incident, which took place on Wednesday morning, came to light after mobile clips of the torture were widely circulated on social media. Taking swift cognizance of the video evidence, the Kalipith police have registered an FIR against several villagers under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Midnight Robbery Targets 90-Year-Old Woman

According to police sources, the sequence of events began late Tuesday night around 11:00 PM. The suspect, identified as Govind Verma, allegedly broke into the residence of Jatan Bai Sondhiya, a 90-year-old woman who was sleeping alone at the time.

Verma reportedly managed to unfasten a pair of heavy silver anklets (payal) from the elderly woman's feet. However, as he attempted to aggressively pull off her silver bangles, the victim woke up and raised an alarm. Startled by her screams, the suspect fled into the darkness before neighbors could gather.

Brutal Retaliation Captured on Camera

The news of the midnight burglary spread rapidly across Kharparas village by early Wednesday morning. Forming search parties, local residents managed to track down Verma in the vicinity and brought him back to the village square.

The situation escalated into extreme violence as a mob gathered. Verma's hands were bound with ropes as villagers took turns thrashing him.

The viral footage shows a young local woman emerging from a house carrying a heavily heated iron wire, which she used to repeatedly brand the suspect's leg as he writhed and screamed in agony.

Later, the crowd tied Verma to the chassis of a tractor-trolley for prolonged interrogation before finally handing him over to a police team.

Cross-FIRs Registered; Investigation Escalated to SDOP Level

The police have taken action against both sides involved in the conflict. Based on the initial complaint lodged by the elderly victim, a robbery and house-trespass case was registered against Govind Verma. Investigators have successfully recovered the stolen silver anklets from his possession.

However, subsequent verification revealed that Verma belongs to a Scheduled Caste community. Following the emergence of the torture videos, police registered a cross-case against the vigilante mob.

Legal Action Matrix:

├── Against Suspect (Govind Verma): House-trespass & Robbery charges; silver recovery complete.

└── Against Mob (Devraj, Lakhan & 2 others): SC-ST Act invocation, unlawful confinement, & causing grievous hurt.

"We have booked four residents, including individuals named Devraj and Lakhan, under the SC-ST Act and sections pertaining to assault. Given the sensitive nature of the case and the caste-based angles involved, the investigation has been officially handed over to an officer of the Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) rank," stated Jitendra Ajnare, Kalipith Town Inspector.

Forensic teams are currently verifying the authenticity of the video logs to identify other bystanders who actively participated in or abetted the illegal confinement and branding. Police added that further statements are being recorded, and arrests will follow shortly.