Two Dalit men were thrashed, stripped and tortured in Rajasthan’s Nagaur district after they were allegedly caught stealing money from a motorcycle agency.

The men, who are brothers, were attacked by the agency’s staff about four days ago but the crime came to police’s notice after videos of the incident began circulating on social media on Wednesday.

Five people have been arrested and seven booked in connection with the crime, police said on Thursday.

“The video went viral as the police were not informed on time about the incident. As soon as we were informed, the accused were identified and later arrested,” Nagaur’s superintendent of police, Vikas Pathak, said.

The incident took place in Karnu village when the victims, one 18 years old and another 26, were allegedly caught stealing Rs 50,000.

In the video, the accused can be seen stripping the men and one holding a screwdriver, dipping it in a bottle of petrol and applying on the private parts of one of the victims.

And, the victims can be heard screaming and pleading.

The accused have been identified as Bhiv Singh, Aidan Laskhman Singh, Jasu Singh, Sawai Singh, Harma Singh and Ganpat Ram.

They were booked under Section 323 (for voluntarily causing hurt), Section 342 (for wrongful confinement), Section 143 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Pathak said the condition of the victims is fine and that they were released from the hospital after treatment.

Further investigation is on, he said.