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Labourer Beaten To Death In Punjab For Alleged Petty Theft, Bihar CM Takes Note

Graphic Video Surfaces Of Bihari Labourer Beaten to Death, Strung Up From Pulley
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A 34-minute video that shows a labourer from Bihar allegedly beaten to death in Punjab has prompted Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to take cognisance of the issue. The CM on Sunday directed his office to reach out to their counterparts in Punjab and also assist the family of the deceased victim, identified as Ram Singh.

The highly graphic video, which shows the labourer hung up with ropes tied around his hands and feet and brutally beaten with a stick or iron pipe, surfaced over the weekend, sparking shock and outrage. In the video, Singh is shown hanging limply from a pulley, coming to his senses only to scream in agony as onlookers laugh at his pain.

According to police, Singh was a cleaner in a factory in Punjab, where he was accused of stealing something. Police told ANI that it appeared that the factory owner then raided Singh's house and brought him to the factory to torture him.

Various police teams have been formed to bring all the accused to book, said DCP Harpreet Singh. "A case was registered as soon as the matter was brought to police notice," said DCP Singh. "The accused have gone underground since the incident took place."

According to a PTI report, Nitish Kumar's secretary was in touch with the Punjab CM's principal secretary, and the Punjab government has assured the that strict action will be taken against the culprits. A case of kidnapping and murder has been registered against the accused. The main perpetrator has been identified as Jaspreet Singh.

The wife of the deceased labourer told The Times of India that her husband was being blamed for a theft that had taken place in the factory a few days ago. "Some people even came to our house and threatened my husband," she said. "On Thursday, a few people came to our house in Khankot village in an car and forcibly took away my husband. They beat him mercilessly and threw him on road. Later his body was recovered from T Point at Mehta Road."

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.