Two cops suspended from filed duty after man claims assault in MP

Representational Pic/File/iStock

Two police officers have been suspended from field duty following allegations that they cut off a protester's "Shikha" and broke his sacred thread in Mauganj district in Madhya Pradesh, according to the PTI.

The incident reportedly took place on September 6 after the police removed Narendra Mishra, the complainant, and other villagers from a highway where they were protesting.

IN PHOTOS: Devotees in Mumbai bid farewell to Lord Ganesha on Anant Chaturdashi

2 months agoPHOTO GALLERY

The protest was in response to the death of a resident who was allegedly struck and killed by a vehicle owned by a liquor contractor, the PTI reported on Tuesday.

Mishra was subsequently arrested for obstructing the highway, a police officer said, as per a PTI report.

To ensure a fair investigation, Shahpur police station in-charge BC Vishwas and constable Vivekanand Yadav have been taken off field duty, said Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Anurag Pandey said to PTI. The initial investigation did not find evidence supporting Mishra's claims.

Mishra's complaint alleges that constable Yadav, along with two other individuals, cut his "Shikha," broke his Janeu (sacred thread), and assaulted him under the direction of police station in-charge BC Vishwas. He also claims he was threatened to deter him from filing a complaint.

In response, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari in a post on Monday has called on Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to suspend the officers involved.

"Has the BJP government recruited policemen or goons? In Shahpur, a Brahmin youth Narendra Mishra, who raised his voice against the liquor mafia, was brutally attacked by the police, after which these goons in uniform plucked the Shikha of the Brahmin brother, which is not only an inhuman act but also an insult to Hindu traditions," Patwari posted on X

MP: Six cops suspended after video of them gambling surfaces on social media

Meanwhile, in an another incident, as many as six policemen were suspended after a video of them gambling surfaced on social media in Madhya Pradesh's Tikamgarh district, an official said on Monday, reported the PTI.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Rohit Kashwani said six constables posted in different police stations were suspended after the purported video surfaced on Sunday evening, as per the PTI.

The action has been taken against constables Manoj Ahirwar, Ritesh Mishra, and Suraj Rajput of Kotwali police station, Bhuvaneshwar Agnihotri and Anil Pachouri of Dehat police station and Salman Khan posted in Digora police station of the district, he said.

Kashwani said additional superintendent of police Sitaram Satya is conducting a probe to find out when and where the video was shot and if other police personnel were at the spot.

This type of conduct spoils the police department's reputation, he said, adding that further action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.

(with PTI inputs)