A video circulating in social media showing a man being assaulted in Vizianagaram has caused alarm, with captions claiming it to be a faction-related murder. Vizianagaram One Town circle inspector B. Venkata Ravana has clarified that the incident is not linked to any faction and the victim is alive. In a statement to Deccan Chronicle, the inspector explained that the man being assaulted in the video is Raj Gupta, who has been residing in Vizianagaram for the past two years. Originally from Rajasthan, Raj Gupta runs a small gas stove repair shop in the city. The video is of May 14, when a group of six individuals abducted Gupta, physically assaulted and extorted ₹35,000 from him. Police investigations revealed that Raj Gupta had been involved in an online altercation with a woman residing in Rajasthan. The woman's brothers, seeking retribution, assaulted Gupta on May 14. They filmed the assault and extorted money from Gupta before releasing him. Initially, Raj Gupta did not report the incident. However, his family in Rajasthan saw the video on May 21, prompting him to file a formal complaint with the Vizianagaram police. The One Town inspector said they have registered a complaint and apprehended one of the accused. They are searching for the remaining five suspects, he added.
