A contractual employee of the electricity department has been arrested in this Uttar Pradesh district for allegedly beating up a Dalit man and forcing him to lick his slippers, police said on Sunday. Tejbali Singh Patel has been “terminated from the service”, they added.

A video of the incident had gone viral on social media showing the accused also twisting one arm of the complainant, pushing him to the ground, climbing up on his chest and slapping him.  Rajendra Chamar submitted his complaint to the police on July 8, cops said. “On July 6, he had gone to his maternal uncle’s place, where electricity went off. He was trying to locate the fault when Patel started hurling abuses at him. He hurled casteist words and also made him lick his chappal. Subsequently, the locals intervened,” a cop said.