![The scene of the incident in Punjab state. [NDTV/Yonhap]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/09/news-p.v1.20260609.b8095aa236b14ed4af188d2d4432cb93_P1.jpg)
Two young men from the Dalit community — the lowest rung of India's caste hierarchy, historically known as "untouchables" — were beaten by villagers and forced to march naked through a settlement in northern India after being suspected of theft, stirring controversy.
According to NDTV, the incident occurred recently in a village in the Sri Muktsar Sahib district of Punjab state, after rumors spread that the two men had stolen a migrant worker's mobile phone. Villagers seized the pair and subjected them to a public ordeal.
The two men were tied together with rope, severely beaten and then stripped of their clothing before being forced to walk through the village in what amounted to a public humiliation.
The incident came to light after video footage circulated on social media, triggering a wave of online criticism over what many called "mob justice." Critics said the collective assault, carried out in disregard of legal procedures, was wholly unacceptable.
The victims' families said the two men are Dalit and were subjected to caste-based slurs by their attackers during the assault. They said the incident constituted a grave violation of human dignity and the rule of law, and urged that those who took part in the beating be held accountable.
Villagers, however, pushed back, insisting the two men were involved in the phone theft while offering no meaningful response to questions about the violation of human dignity or the legality of their actions.
Police said they have arrested the two men suspected of theft and are investigating the case, while also reviewing legal action against the villagers who participated in the assault and public shaming. "If residents suspected a crime, they should have reported it to police rather than taking punishment into their own hands," a police official said.
As the controversy grew, the Punjab Scheduled Castes Commission launched its own inquiry into the matter. "Scheduled Castes" is the constitutional term used in India to refer to Dalits — those at the bottom of the caste system once called untouchables. The commission is a state government body that investigates human rights violations and social discrimination against the community.
According to the 2011 census, India's Dalit population stood at approximately 201 million, accounting for 16 percent of the total population. While Dalits are spread across the country, they are present in relatively higher concentrations in northern states, including Punjab.
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