Two youths accused of snatching a mobile phone were allegedly paraded semi-naked, dragged through fields, tied to a tree and beaten up by some people at Jhorar village in Muktsar district on Saturday afternoon. Videos purportedly showing the incident have gone viral on social media, triggering outrage over the alleged vigilante action.According to the police, the two youths, belonging to the Dalit community, were drug addicts and were caught by a mob after they allegedly snatched a mobile phone from a migrant labourer. Jhorar village is considered one of the drug-affected pockets of the district.Meanwhile, the Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission Chairman Jasvir Singh Garhi has taken a notice of this alleged incident and sought a report from the police by June 9.The mother of one of the youths alleged that despite requests from family members, the mob did not spare them. “We requested those who had caught my son and the other youngster that if they had done something wrong, we would compensate for it. But they did not listen. They paraded them semi-naked in the village, dragged them through fields, later tied them to a tree and thrashed them. They even recorded videos,” she alleged.Malout DSP Jaspal Singh Dhaliwal said the police came to know about the incident through a viral video. He said both youths were apprehended by villagers after the snatching incident and were later brought to the police station.“A case of mobile-phone snatching has been registered and the accused have been arrested. Both are drug addicts and their parents had earlier got them treated for addiction. One of them was previously booked in a drug case,” the DSP said.He further said neither of the accused had any major injuries, though some scratches and blunt injury marks were found on their bodies during medical examination. “Their X-ray reports are awaited. Nobody is allowed to take the law into their own hands. If the medical reports confirm injuries caused by the assault, appropriate action will be taken against those involved,” he added.The DSP also said residents had earlier complained about incidents of electricity wire thefts and other crimes.He further said they had received a complaint and were now lodging a case regarding the alleged assault. A case under Sections 332(C), 115(2), 126(2), 351(2), 191(3), and 190 of the BNS, as well as Sections 3 and 4 of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, has been registered at the Malout Sadar police station. The case was registered on a complaint lodged by the mother of one of the youngsters who was allegedly subjected to inhumane treatment.She alleged in her complaint the accused hurled abuses, passed casteist remarks and that one of them even twisted her arm, before subjecting her son and the other youngster to inhumane treatment.​Those booked have been identified as Hardeep Singh, his father Avtar Singh, Rimpa Singh and Manpreet Singh, all residents of Jhorar village, along with several unidentified persons.