Shahjahanpur (UP): A man was allegedly tied to a tree and assaulted by a group of villagers after he and another youth went to meet a woman in a village in Shahjahanpur, police said on Saturday.

A purported video of the incident has surfaced on social media and gone viral. The footage shows the man tied to a tree with a rope while a group of people surround him and question him about his identity.

In the video, the man says he is from the Palia area of Lakhimpur Kheri and repeatedly apologises, pleading, "We made a mistake. We will not come again. Please forgive us."

Superintendent of Police Saurabh Dixit said the incident occurred on Friday afternoon in Maholiya Veeran village under the Khutar police station limits.

According to the FIR, a 28-year-old woman from the village, who has been married for eight years, had recently begun speaking over the phone with the two men, identified as Radhe and Sonu. The two, who are related to her as brothers-in-law, travelled to the village to meet her on Friday, the SP said.

Police said the two men were speaking with the woman when some villagers caught them.

The villagers allegedly suspected that the men were attempting to abduct the woman and tied them up before questioning them about their identities and other details.

Both men later managed to flee from the village, police said.

An FIR has been registered against Sonu and Radhe under Section 87 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to abducting a woman.

SP Dixit said police had taken note of the video circulating on social media.

"If the accused were tied to a tree and beaten, we will take action against those who assaulted them if they file a complaint," he said.

Further investigation is underway.