Two Muslim minors from Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district have allegedly been kidnapped, assaulted, and thrown into a canal over an unpaid restaurant bill of ₹6,400, sparking outrage after a video of the incident surfaced online on April 25.
The incident reportedly took place on March 10 but came to light weeks later when the video circulated widely on social media. The footage shows two children, identified as Rihan and Nishan, in a distressed condition, with one of them seen partially unclothed. In the same video, a person is seen attempting to stop the recording.
According to the family’s allegations, the children were taken to a canal by the restaurant owners after failing to repay the pending amount accumulated over several months. The eatery is reportedly owned by two individuals identified as Nitin and Shivam.
The family further alleged that the minors were beaten and pushed into the canal. They also claimed that the children initially escaped but were later dragged back to a nearby house and assaulted again.
The dispute is said to have originated from an unpaid food bill of ₹6,400 at a local fast food restaurant, which remained unsettled for nearly three months.
The victims’ family has also accused the local police of failing to take strong action after receiving the complaint. However, Shamli police have denied the allegations of severe violence, stating that the claims have been exaggerated.
In an official statement shared on social media, police said, “Investigation revealed the shop owners, Nitin and Shivam, scolded the children for not paying the debt, but other allegations made by the father were found to be untrue.”
Police have not provided details on the specific legal sections under which action has been taken, despite questions regarding arrests in the case.
