A video from the Etawah district in Uttar Pradesh is making waves on social media, depicting a crowd harassing two individuals. One had their hair forcibly cut. Clad in a white kurta and red dhoti, a victim is depicted touching the feet of a woman and rubbing his nose on the ground. The crowd also destroyed the victims' harmonium. In response, police have taken note of the video and initiated an investigation.
It is reported that the two mistreated individuals are storytellers who travel to different villages. They had arrived in Dadarpur village, within the Bakver police station limits, to narrate stories. However, they were met with violence and verbal abuse. A video of the incident, now under widespread discussion on social media, was recorded by an onlooker.
One victim, Sant Kumar Yadav, revealed that he works as an assistant to Mukut Mani Yadav, a storyteller. When they went to the village for storytelling, some members of the Brahmin community interrupted them and inquired about their caste. Upon learning they belonged to the Yadav community, the assailants took them hostage and assaulted them, labeling them as fake storytellers.
The crowd reportedly cut the hair of Mukut Mani Yadav's assistant, an event captured in the viral video. The victims were forced to touch the feet of a woman and to rub their nose on the ground. They were also subjected to the humiliation of having human urine sprinkled on them before release. The entire episode has been reported to the police, who are conducting inquiries and investigations.
The storyteller, Mukut Mani Yadav, stated, “Our storytelling session was pre-arranged, but as soon as we began, chaos erupted. We were subjected to inhumane treatment and verbal abuse. We are seeking justice and urge the police to act against the perpetrators.”
Senior Superintendent of Police in Etawah, Brijesh Kumar Srivastava, reported an incident during a Bhagwat Katha in Dadarpur village, where victims were harassed, including having their hair cut against their will. A formal complaint has been registered, and stringent actions are being pursued. It's been reported that some money was also taken from the victims and the investigation is currently ongoing, led by an Additional SP.
