Man brutally beaten over theft suspicion, found carrying only roti, salt
Satna, Madhya Pradesh: A deeply disturbing video from Satna district has gone viral on social media, showing a young man being mercilessly thrashed by another man on mere suspicion of theft. The assault, captured on camera, has shocked viewers across the country, not only for its brutality but for what was later discovered in the victim’s pocket: just two dry rotis and a small packet of salt.
In the video, the young man does not retaliate or even cry out. He simply raises his hand in a silent plea for the blows to stop. Onlookers can be seen watching passively as the man is beaten repeatedly with a stick. No one intervenes. No one protests.
Later, when the victim's pockets were searched, no stolen goods were found, only his likely meal for the day: roti and namak. The revelation has triggered outrage online, with many users calling the attack not just inhumane, but symbolic of a society that punishes poverty and hunger with violence.
A post on X by The Dalit Voice said: "A poor young man was brutally beaten on suspicion of theft, but when his pockets were checked, only two rotis and a small packet of salt were found. This heartbreaking incident from Satna, Madhya Pradesh, is a shame on humanity."
A poor young man was brutally beaten on suspicion of theft, but when his pockets were checked, only two rotis and a small packet of salt were found. This heartbreaking incident from Satna, Madhya Pradesh, is a shame on humanity. pic.twitter.com/Xfx4y3MvKX
— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) August 7, 2025
Another video shared by journalist Anurag Dwary shows the boy receiving medical care at a district hospital. The caption reads: “Came to the hospital, was beaten on suspicion of theft, only dry roti and salt found in poor man's pocket.”
क्या समाज है, सतना जिला अस्पताल में इस शख्स को चोरी के शक में बेरहमी से पीटा गया, तलाशी हुई तो जेब से मिली 2 रोटी और नमक की पुड़िया! pic.twitter.com/zzFe5uKFMD
— Anurag Dwary (@Anurag_Dwary) August 7, 2025
The widespread anger on social media is accompanied by pressing questions: Why didn’t anyone stop the attack? Why are the poor treated as criminals? And what kind of society have we become if hunger is mistaken for theft?
Journalist Rohini Singh called it “the most heartbreaking story,” writing: “A poor boy was mercilessly beaten on suspicion of theft and when he was searched only a dry roti and a pudiya of salt was found on him. Namak and roti. A cruel, heartless society…”
This is the most heartbreaking story. A poor boy was mercilessly beaten on suspicion of theft and when he was searched only a dry roti and a pudiya of salt was found on him. Namak and roti. A cruel, heartless society… https://t.co/jK53CfD3tu
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) August 6, 2025
While local authorities are yet to issue a formal statement on the incident, public pressure is mounting for action against the attacker, and for better protection of vulnerable individuals from mob violence.
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'Rear-guard action': BJP over Mamata accepting sports minister's resignation after Messi event
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's accepting Aroop Biswas' resignation as the state sports minister is nothing but a "rear-guard action" to douse public anger over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week.
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that this is also an "open confession" that the Messi event fiasco was not accidental but a government-manufactured disaster, borne out of the poor governance of Banerjee, her ministers and the state bureaucracy.
Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Biswas' resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.
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Reacting to the development, Malviya said in a post on X, "TMC Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns after the Messi fiasco and Mamata Banerjee accepts it in record time."
"Do not mistake this for accountability; this is nothing but a rear-guard action to douse public anger. anger! This is not 'Raj Dharma'," he added.
The BJP leader alleged that the incident was the outcome of "loot" of common people which is "so synonymous" with the TMC.
The incident was also the outcome of the "shameless VIP culture that TMC thrives on and deep-rooted cronyism promoted by Banerjee," he charged.
Malviya further alleged that Biswas' resignation exposes a "collective failure of Mamata Banerjee, her partisan bureaucracy, and her crony cabinet".
"This is a symbolic sacrifice, a political hoax, soon to be buried under layers of bureaucracy, with no justice, no accountability, and no remorse," the BJP leader said, adding, "No resignation will bring back the time lost, the money wasted, or the stolen chance for football lovers to witness Messi in Kolkata."
