In a shocking case from Rajasthan’s Kota, a police officer allegedly slapped a shopkeeper in the middle of the road, causing him to collapse on the road unconscious.
The video of police brutality has gone viral on social media, enraging netizens. This incident reportedly occurred on May 29.
According to the social media post of NGO NCM India – Council For Men Affairs, Station House Officer (SHO) Pushpendra Bansiwal allegedly slapped the shopkeeper, identified as Rizwan, so hard that he lost consciousness on the spot.
It has been alleged that the SHO, the NGO called “khaki goon”, asked the shopkeeper to remove a bike parked in front of his shop in the Kaithunipol area of Kota.
He tried to help; however, Rizwan reportedly told him that the bike was not his and was locked, so it could not be moved.
An investigation has been initiated into the matter after the victim registered a complaint against the police officer.
“What else can we expect from these Khaki Goons?” the NGO questioned in the post.
The video also showed Bansiwal and other police officers dragging Rizwan while holding them by his collar.
In the viral video, the cop can be seen thrusting the shopkeeper into the police jeep, which he resisted. He then slapped him so hard that the shopkeeper fell unconscious on the ground in the middle of the road as other vehicles passed close to him.
According to a NDTV report, Rizwan claimed that he had recently undergone ear surgery, but the police ignored his medical condition.
SHO denies allegations
SHO Pushpendra Bansiwal has reportedly denied the allegations and said that the police were trying to clear the area in preparation for a rally on Maharana Pratap Jayanti.
He also said that Rizwan misbehaved with the police, due to which he was taken to the police station. He denied the allegations of assault.
Here’s how netizens reacted:
Netizens were enraged by the police brutality and asked Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal if slapping someone over a wrongly parked vehicle was justified.
“Can the honourable CM @BhajanlalBjp let us know which rule of law allows a policeman to slap someone for wrong parking? Is this really what the police personnel are trained for ,to slap someone at will so hard that the person lays down unconscious?” a social media user asked.
“The problem is that our outrage against police brutality is quite selective. If the police brutalise someone we don’t approve of, we celebrate, but when the police demonstrate the same behaviour against a common person or against someone we don’t particularly dislike, we feel bad. Such behaviour from police should never be encouraged because they don’t know when to draw the line,” said another person.
A netizen exclaimed, “That SHO belongs in jail.”
“Enough evidence to lodge an FIR against these policemen and to take them to court. Hope some lawyer helps out the poor shop keeper and that authorities take action against that SHO,” said another.