A video from Uttarakhand's Nainital district has gone viral after two men accused of harassing local girls were publicly punished by villagers before being handed over to the police.
The incident reportedly took place in Satoli village, located in the Mukteshwar region. According to reports, the two men, said to be residents of Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, allegedly made inappropriate remarks at local girls while passing through the village in a vehicle.
Soon after the alleged incident, villagers and the women involved intercepted the duo, leading to a dramatic public confrontation.
Faces Blackened, hit with slippers and rubbed with 'Bicchu Booti'
Videos circulating on social media show a crowd surrounding the two accused. Their faces were blackened with a dark substance before they were allegedly hit with slippers.
The men were also rubbed with bicchu booti (stinging nettle), a wild plant known for causing an intense burning, itching and stinging sensation when it comes into contact with the skin. The plant grows naturally in the Himalayan region and has long been known for both its medicinal uses and its painful sting.
After the public punishment, the accused were handed over to the local police, who are expected to take further legal action in the matter.
Social media divided over public punishment
The incident has triggered widespread discussion online, with users expressing sharply divided opinions.
Many people applauded the women and villagers for standing up against alleged harassment and teaching the accused what they described as an immediate lesson.
"This is the exact treatment such people deserve. No matter community or religion. Anybody disrespecting women and harassing them deserves this treatment," wrote a user.
Another commented, "Harassing women is shameful; they got the lesson they deserved."
Referring to the use of stinging nettle, one user quipped, "That nettle treatment is going to leave more than just a lesson-itching for weeks will make sure they remember not to mess with girls again."
Another person said, "I wish this treatment becomes a norm for all such offences in every part of India."
