Barauli villagers turn vigilantes, tonsure heads of three ‘thieves’

Lucknow: Three men were arrested on Thursday for theft after a group of villagers allegedly caught them red-handed, shaved their hair, smeared black polish on their faces and then paraded them around. The incident reportedly occurred in Barauli village, under SGPGI police station area.

The video of the incident also went viral, spurring police action. Police reached the spot and took the three suspects — identified as Dilip, Hansraj and Rakesh — into their custody. The three also disclosed the name of their aide Upvan, who is still on the run.

According to police, one Nitin Dixit on Thursday morning spotted Dilip carrying his cooler after dismantling it. Dixit locked the room’s door and then raised an alarm. Other villagers gathered at the spot, opened the door and nabbed Dilip. They also managed to nab his aides Hansraj and Rakesh, after he revealed their names.

The villagers thrashed the trio and then tied them to a tree near the room.

“The villagers first shaved some of the hair on the trio’s heads, then smeared black shoe polish on their faces and hung a garland of shoes around their necks. They were then paraded around the village,” said station house officer (SGPGI) KK Mishra. Later during the day, a police team reached the spot and rescued them. The three were then arrested, based on a complaint filed Dixit.

“My cooler was installed at the window of the room which is near the door. I found it missing when woke up in the morning. When I came out of the house, I saw Dilip fleeing with it. He later disclosed the names of his aides. Two days back, they also had stolen my mobile phone from the room,” Dixit said in the FIR.

Villagers also said the three had been active since the past several months and used to steal coolers, mobiles phones and bicycles.