A farmer in Chhattisgarh's Balrampur district has been arrested after a horrifying incident where he allegedly tied up and brutally assaulted two minor boys for plucking peas from his field. The event, which occurred on January 4, has triggered widespread condemnation following the circulation of a video on social media.
Shocking Details of the Assault Emerge
The incident took place in Laduwa village within the Rajpur region. According to the police, the accused has been identified as Kapil Uraon (26), a farmer and a neighbour of the victims' family. The complaint was filed by Krishna Nath Toppo, whose seven-year-old son was on his way to school accompanied by another boy from the village.
On their route, the children noticed peas in Kapil's field and began plucking and eating them. Upon spotting them, Kapil shouted and chased the boys as they tried to flee. He caught them and took them to his house. There, in a cruel act, he is accused of tying their hands and legs with a rope and then beating them with fists and kicks while hurling abuses. The children cried and pleaded for release throughout the ordeal.
Trauma, Threats, and Eventual Police Action
The family members revealed that the seven-year-old boy was so traumatised that he developed a fever that night. Initially, both children were too scared to inform their families about the assault. The episode came to light only after villagers recorded the incident and the video began circulating widely on social media platforms.
When the father, Krishna Nath Toppo, confronted the accused, Kapil Uraon allegedly threatened him, warning that things "would not be good" if a police report was filed. Frightened by this, Toppo initially refrained from going to the police station.
However, as anger surged within the village and locals urged him to take action, Krishna Nath approached the Rajpur police on January 6. He submitted a written complaint, leading to the registration of an FIR. The police swiftly picked up the accused farmer.
Arrest and Confession Under New Law
During interrogation, Kapil Uraon confessed to the crime. He reportedly stated that the other boy he assaulted was his own relative. The police have arrested him under multiple stringent provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the new penal code that replaced the Indian Penal Code.
This case highlights a severe instance of violence against children and has sparked a crucial conversation about proportionality of response and child rights in rural India. The use of the new BNS provisions also marks a significant legal aspect of this distressing case from Balrampur district.
