In a shocking case of abuse of power, a group of cops allegedly assaulted a journalist in Shamli, UP. Reportedly, the attack by GRP cops was led by SHO Rakesh Kumar, and the journalist was assaulted when he was covering a train derailment.
In a video circulated by ANI, the journalist can be seen being repeatedly slapped by men in plain clothes – who, as per the journalist, were cops.
#WATCH Shamli: GRP personnel thrash a journalist who was covering the goods train derailment near Dhimanpura tonight. He says, “They were in plain clothes. One hit my camera&it fell down. When I picked it up they hit&abused me. I was locked up, stripped&they urinated in my mouth” pic.twitter.com/nS4hiyFF1G
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 11, 2019
The journalist also claimed that the cops continued to torture him, going so far as to strip him and urinate on him. Another Twitter user, Piyush Rai, also shared a series of tweets where the journalist can be seen being beaten and captured. The journalist also claimed that he was being subjected to this behaviour because of an unfavourbale story he had written on the police.
News 24 journalist Amit Sharma, detained at GRP police station in Shamli, claims that he was beaten, stripped and GRP inspector Rakesh Kumar urinated in his mouth. pic.twitter.com/0l3xa27AlB
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) June 12, 2019
As of now, the UP Police has issued a statement that the concerned SHO and Constable have been suspended.
We have come across a video where a journalist has been beaten up & put up in a lock up. DGP UP OP Singh has ordered for immediate suspension of SHO GRP Shamli Rakesh Kumar & Const. Sanjay Pawar.
— UP POLICE (@Uppolice) June 12, 2019
Strict punishment shall be accorded to policemen misbehaving with citizens.
Further updates about the incident are awaited. Here’s hoping that if proven, such blatant misuse of power is punished accordingly.