Eyewitnesses said as Dhall and her supporters got up to sign some autographs, two children picked up the NRI woman’s purse and fled. Bystanders caught the children and police beat them up, they said.

The children, a five-year-old girl and a nine-year-old boy, were taken to Police Station Dehlon in a police van. Dehlon SHO Prem Singh confirmed the incident. “It was the police party accompanying the MP who beat up the children and not us,” said the SHO.

According to police, the purse contained passports and air tickets along with some cash. The purse was restored to MP Ruby Dhall.

“The children will be sent to a juvenile home after they are presented in court. I have been told that a police party belonging to Amritsar District which was providing security to the MP and her troupe beat up the children. My team reached the spot later and we were not informed about the matter,” SSP Ludhiana Rural Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said.