CRPF jawan allegedly thrashed by Kanwariyas at Mirzapur railway station in UP, video goes viral

A CRPF jawan was brutally thrashed allegedly by a group of Kanwariyas at the Mirzapur railway station in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday with a video clip of the incident now going viral on social media. According to police, the altercation began over a dispute related to the purchase of train tickets. 

Videos filmed by bystanders show the group of Kanwariyas, dressed in saffron attire, attacking the CRPF jawan as he was preparing to board the Brahmaputra Mail. The jawan is seen being pinned to the ground while the assailants rain down punches and kicks, with several bystanders merely watching the attack unfold. The jawan did try to retaliate a couple of times but was overpowered each time and thrown to the ground, the video shows.

In the clip, one passenger is seen trying to pull one of the attackers away from the jawan, though the rest of the group continues the assault.

Seven arrested by RPF for assaulting CRPF jawan

Upon receiving information, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) rushed to the spot and registered a case against the accused. Following an investigation, seven Kanwariyas were taken into custody. Seven Kanwariyas have been arrested in the case of beating up a CRPF jawan, RPF in-charge inspector Chaman Singh Tomar said, as per media reports.

The Kanwariyas involved were purportedly part of the Kanwar Yatra, a religious pilgrimage undertaken annually by Shiva devotees. As part of the ritual, they walk barefoot, carrying sacred water from the river Ganga in pots known as Kanwars, which they offer at Shiva temples. This year’s Yatra began on July 11 and will conclude on July 23, aligning with the Hindu month of Shravan, also known as Sawan.

The incident has raised concerns over crowd control and security during the Kanwar Yatra, which witnesses the participation of thousands of devotees across northern India. Investigations are ongoing to determine the full sequence of events that led to the attack.