In Virāṭparva of Mahābhārata, Kīcaka, brother-in-law of king Virāṭ, was slain by Bhīma. As a consequence of insulting Draupadī, his smashed body was found in the dance-court of the royal house. In  this context, the Upakīcaka(s) have been introduced here. Citing the śloka from Mahābhārata, Haridāsa Siddhāntavāgiśa has said that, after the death of Kīcaka, his friends and relatives came to that place and started crying oer the body–
tasminkāle samāgamya sarve tatrāsya vāndhavāḥ.
ruruduḥ kīcakaṃ dṛṣṭvā parivārya samantataḥ.
The term ̍vāndhava̍ means friends and dear ones. In that sense, the Upakīcaka(s) should be Kīcakas relatives. But these Upakīcaka(s) were in no way Kīcaka̍s brothers, nor his relatives, but they belonged to his country, and his community, so they were like his brothers. While taking the corpse for funeral rites, they found Draupadī standing nearby. The moment they saw her, they said, “Immediately kill that adultress, for whom Kīcaka has been murdered”–
hanyatāṃ śighramasatī yatkṛte kīcako hataḥ.

Now the Upakīcaka(s) planned to burn Drupadī alive on the same pyre with the dead Kīchaka. They asked king Virāṭ̍s permission to burn Sairindhrī . King Virāṭ was aware of the power of the Upakīchaka(s); they also helped in in any kind of battle. So he gave the permission. Then the Upakīchaka(s) bound Sairindhrī to the cot and set out for the place of cremation. In the hope of being rescued Draupadī started calling out– “O Jaya, Jayanta, Vijaya, Jayasena, Jayadvala, whoever is present, please hear that these Upakīchaka(s) are taking me to the cremation place kill me.” Hearing the voice of Draupadī, Bhīma threw away his costume as a cook, and leaped over the high boundary of the royal palace, and went to the cremation place. There he found the pyre ready. Bhīma uprooted a palm tree and attacked the Upakīchaka(s). Seeing Bhīmasena in rage, they started flying, saying– “This terrible man is perhaps the husband of Draupadī, so let her go.

The Upakīchaka(s) left Sairindhrī and tried to escape. But Bhīmasena killed the one hundred and five Upakīchaka(s). He had already killed the general Kīchaka. Now, having killed the Upakīchaka(s), Bhīmasena saved Draupadī from danger.