Hyderabad: Cop assaults coffee shop staffer, video went viral

Hyderabad: A video of a police constable allegedly assaulting an employee of a coffee shop located in posh Banjara Hills area of the city has caused a flutter.

After the CCTV footage of the incident, which took place on September 18, was aired by some news channels, a disciplinary action has been initiated against the constable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UENbQzLGI0

According to police, a team of police personnel raided the coffee shop which was not only indulged in illegally serving hookah to customers but was also remained open till 3 am, which is beyond the permissible time limit of 11 pm.

The video purportedly showed the constable, identified as Ramesh, kicking and slapping the coffee shop employee, identified as Gaffar.

After the video was telecast on TV Channels, an inquiry was ordered to look into the “highhanded” behaviour of the constable, and the Deputy Commissioner of Police (West Zone) has issued a charge memo against him, Banjara Hills Police Station Inspector K Srinivas said today.

“We got an information that the coffee shop was illegally serving hookah and running beyond permissible time of 11 pm and a police team raided the shop. The supervisors did not cooperate with the police and an altercation broke out between the police and the supervisors,” the inspector said.

He said a case was registered under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and other relevant sections of the IPC besides under the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Product Act 2003 (COTPA).
Police have arrested three supervisors in this regard, he said.

With inputs from PTI