A 19-year-old tribal youth, identified as Siju V., was allegedly assaulted, stripped, and tied to an electric pole by two truck drivers in Attappadi, Palakkad district on May 24 for reportedly disrupting traffic, according to a complaint filed at the Agali police station.
A video circulating on social media allegedly shows Siju tied to the pole in heavy rain for over an hour.
The incident occurred in the Chittur tribal settlement, under the jurisdiction of the Agali police station.
The two accused, Vishnu Das, 31, and Reji Mathew, 21, both residents of Sholayur in Attappadi, work as milk collection agents for a local dairy.
Police said the altercation began when Siju was walking along a road and reportedly slipped in front of the mini-truck driven by the two men.
In his complaint to the police, Siju, who is receiving treatment at the Government Tribal Specialty Hospital in Attappadi, described the incident. “I accidentally slipped on the road as the mini-truck approached. Two men got out, shouted abusive words, and attacked me without provocation. They accused me of deliberately falling in front of their vehicle, even though there was enough space for the truck to pass. One of them tied me to an electric pole while the other recorded it on a mobile phone,” Siju stated.
The hospital notified local police of the assault shortly after Siju was admitted, but authorities took no immediate action, according to police records.
It was not until May 27 when the video gained traction on social media, that the Agali police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Das and Mathew.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.