The soldier's friend told the media that Kumar planned the whole thing to become famous.
An Indian Army soldier in Kerala was on Tuesday taken into custody along with his friend for allegedly giving a false statement about six people attacking him and painting the letters "PFI" on his back on Sunday night, police said. The police in Kadakkal town of Kollam district had filed a case based on a complaint from the army personnel and an investigation was underway to ascertain the facts of the case.
The soldier, Shine Kumar, claimed he was attacked by a gang of six people in a rubber forest next to his house. He said they tied his hands with tape, and wrote "PFI" on his back with green paint.
According to news agency PTI, a senior police officer of the district said that no arrests have been recorded in the case so far and the statements of the soldier -- Shine Kumar -- and his friend were being recorded.
"Further action would be taken after verifying the contents of their statements," the officer said.
He also said that the soldier's friend has claimed that Kumar wanted to become famous and that is why this entire act was carried out.
The officer further said that the soldier was giving various reasons for making such a false statement, and they have to be verified.
Police also recovered the green paint, brush and tape allegedly used in the incident from the friend's home.
The soldier's friend told the media that Kumar planned the whole thing to become famous.
Giving details of what allegedly transpired, the friend claimed that Kumar asked him to write 'PFI' on his back and to beat him up.
"I was drunk, so I initially wrote DFI, but he (Kumar) said to write PFI. So I made it PFI. Then he asked me to beat him up, but I said I couldn't because I was drunk.
"Then he asked me to drag him on the ground and lay down, but I could not in my intoxicated state. So he asked me to tape his mouth and hands and then to leave. So I did that," the friend claimed.
PFI is commonly used to refer to banned Islamic outfit Popular Front of India.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)