Lakhimpur Kheri (Uttar Pradesh), Jun 24 (IANS): Two Dalit boys, aged 10 and 11, were allegedly tied to a tree and mercilessly thrashed for hours by the owner of an orchard in Uttar Pradesh for having plucked 'jamun' from his plantation.

The incident took place in Gehua village. When their mothers went looking for them, they found them still tied to the tree and unconscious.

They informed the Mohammadi police station personnel but an FIR was registered only after photographs of the children were shared on social media on Wednesday.

The main accused, Kailash Verma, has been arrested and sent to jail.

The police said he was inebriated at the time of the incident.

In their complaint, the families of the two boys alleged that they had plucked a few jamun from a tree on a private school campus and were eating them when the school owner, Kailash, 25, happened to catch them.

He allegedly went berserk, tied them to the tree and thrashed them even as the minors cried and repeatedly begged for mercy.

Pawan's mother Sarita Devi said some children who had gone to drink water at the school saw Kailash beating up the boys and informed her.

She and Dheeraj's mother rushed to the spot and found the two boys unconscious while Kailash was consuming liquor.

"We had a heated argument with Kailash and the police were informed. Kailash's family is now trying to convince us to withdraw the complaint but we have refused," said Sarita Devi.

Brijesh Tripathi, SHO of Mohammadi police station, said: "We have registered an FIR under IPC sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 504 (intentional insult), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and provisions of the SC/ST Act. The accused has been arrested and sent to jail on judicial custody. The boys have been sent for a medical examination. The report is awaited."