A policeman has been caught on camera riding his motorbike on the chest of a vegetable vendor in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, as other policemen and bystanders stood and watched. But despite the visual evidence, the police has said that no such incident took place.
The incident took place on August 18 outside the Rambagh railway station. The vendor, Rohit Kesarwani, claims that the constable had asked him to move his cart and demanded a bribe. He alleges that when he refused, the cop assaulted him, beat him with a stick and threw him to the ground.
The vendor alleges that the cop then rode the front wheel of his bike on his chest. Mohit Rastogi, one of the witnesses, recorded this on his mobile phone.
The photographer also claimed he was asked to delete the picture. He said, “When the cops saw me clicking pictures they started threatening me. They said I should not interfere. But I refused to bow down.”
The Allahabad High Court has issued notice to the state government and senior police officials after a Public Interest Litigation was filed on the incident. The police have now begun to take action. The Allahabad Senior Superintendent of Police Mohit Aggarwal said the constable has been suspended and the police is investigating who the other cops present were. Mr Aggarwal promised tough action.
The case will come up for hearing on September 5.