A Chhattisgarh policeman was on Monday sent on leave and a probe was launched as a video went viral on social media showing him mercilessly beating up a youth in front of his mother in a Covid-19 containment zone on the outskirts of Raipur.
The incident took place on Sunday morning in Birgaon area under Urla police station limits, which has been declared a containment zone after cases of Covid-19 surged in recent days.
In the video, a man donning black shirt and blue jeans is seen ruthlessly beating with a stick a man who was riding a motorcycle. The cop, who was later identified as Urla Police Station Thana Incharge (TI) Nitin Upadhyay, even pushed his mother, the pillion rider, when she tried to save her son.
The video was widely shared on social media platforms and thousands of people reacted angrily to the cop’s brutal act. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel stepped in realising that the issue could affect the image of his Government.
“This is inhuman and not acceptable. Departmental enquiry has been constituted and he has been sent on leave,” Baghel posted on his Twitter handle.
But netizens termed Rs the departmental probe and forced leave’ a move to cover up the brutality and sought immediate suspension of the TI.
When the nationwide lockdown began in March and videos of police personnel thrashing lockdown violators started to emerge in the social media, Baghel had instructed the police to treat lockdown violators in a humane way.
Director General of Police D.M. Awasthi too passed similar directives for the cops in Chhattisgarh.