Teens hung upside down, thrashed, exposed to chilli fumes for theft

Two 14-year-old boys in Madhya Pradesh’s Pandhurna district were hung upside down, beaten, and exposed to chilli smoke as punishment for stealing a watch. The incident happened on October 31 and came to light on Sunday after a video of the incident went viral.
According to Mohgaon Police Station in-charge Rupalal Uike, the boys had gone to a local house to return money borrowed for curd. While there, they reportedly picked up a watch.
Realising their mistake later, they quietly returned the watch to its original spot. However, two men from the village, Nikhil Kalambe and Surendra Bawankar, saw the boys keeping back the watch, and they then forcibly took the boys to a tractor garage, where they questioned them about the alleged theft, beat them, and then subjected them to chilli smoke treatment.
Initially, the boys did not inform their families about the incident. However, when the video, recorded by one of the accused, Surendra Bawankar, began circulating on WhatsApp, it eventually reached the father of one of the boys. Shocked, he questioned his son, who revealed the details of the ordeal. The father then took his son to the police station, where a formal complaint was lodged.
Police have detained both Nikhil Kalambe, Surendra Bawankar, and another suspect in the case and further investigation is underway. The police have registered a case under sections 137, 2, 140, 3, 115, 35, 127, 2, and 75 of the BNS Act in connection with the incident.