Two unidentified women suspected of involvement in a gold chain-snatching incident were reportedly beaten with shoes by a man at the Nagni Mata fair near Nurpur after they were caught by locals on Saturday.

According to local residents, the women were suspected of snatching a gold chain from a woman by allegedly using a

cutter. The suspects were reportedly apprehended by people at the fair, and a cutter was allegedly recovered from one of them.

Soon after, the husband of the alleged victim reportedly beat the two women with a shoe in full public view. The onlookers shot videos of the incident, which were later circulated widely on social media.

The viral videos sparked criticism from many residents, particularly women, for thrashing the suspects with shoes instead of handing them over to the police for legal action.

Residents and devotees visiting the Nagni Mata fair alleged that a gang of women involved in chain snatching have been active during the weekly fairs on Saturday in the Shravan and Bhadon months. They also claimed that police had made no adequate arrangement to check this threat.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Nurpur, Ilma Afroz, told The Tribune that the cyber cell was verifying the viral videos and that local police had been directed to identify those involved in beating the women.

She said that following a preliminary inquiry, police registered an FIR on Sunday morning under Sections 126(2), 115(2) and 3(5) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sahinta (BNS) against the persons allegedly involved in the incident.

She said if theft had been committed, the police and courts had to establish through a legal process and law didn’t

permit anyone to punish the suspect on the spot.

She added that the Nurpur district police were committed to ensuring the safety and dignity of women in the area.