Ballia (UP): Two Dalits were tonsured and paraded in Rasra police station area here allegedly by Hindu Yuva Vahini activists on charges of stealing cows, the police said.

The two men were then arrested following an FIR filed on the complaint of one Pravin Srivastava, under section 379 and 411 (punishment for theft) of IPC for allegedly stealing cows.

One of the two men later filed a police complaint saying the incident took place on Monday when some Hindu Yuva Vahini activists stopped them with two cows.

In a complaint to the police, Uma Ram alleged that his and Sonu's heads were shaved off by Hindu Yuva Vahini activists. They were then paraded around Rasra town with tyres around their neck and placards with "hum gai chor hain" (we are cow thieves) written on those.

On Ram's complaint, the FIR was lodged against a named and 15 unknown persons under section 342 (wrongful confinement), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

SP Anil Kumar said Deputy SP Avdhesh Chaudhary has been asked to investigate the matter.