LUCKNOW, Oct. 7 -- Nearly a week after a 38-year-old man was lynched on suspicion of being a drone thief in Rae Bareli, another video surfaced on Monday showing a man being assaulted on theft suspicion in Hardoi district. The growing number of mob assaults across Uttar Pradesh has raised concerns even as the DGP has instructed police personnel across the state to inform people not to believe rumours.

The latest video from Hardoi went viral showing a mob tying a man to a pole, stripping him, pulling his hair, and beating him. It was alleged that chilli powder was sprinkled in his eyes, but police denied this in a statement posted on X on Tuesday, saying medical examination found no grievous injuries.

According to the statement, the incid...