A man was beaten up for kissing his wife while taking a bath in the Sarayu river in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, NDTV reported on Thursday.

The Ayodhya Police has taken cognisance of the assault.

“In-charge Inspector Police Station Kotwali Ayodhya has been directed to investigate and take necessary legal action,” the Ayodhya Police said in a tweet.

In a video of the assault, which has been widely circulated on social media, the man is seen being dragged out of the water by a person. He is then beaten by several others. One of the attackers is heard saying: “This vulgarity will not be allowed in Ayodhya”.

The man was assaulted at the Ram ki Paidi, a series of river embankments on the Sarayu. The river is one of the seven tributaries of the Ganga and is considered to be holy by many Hindus.