Uttar Pradesh: After video of assault surfaces, cop suspended

A police officer was suspended on Saturday after a video showed him purportedly assaulting a person at an outpost in Paniyara police station area in Maharajganj district. An inquiry has been ordered.

The purported video was shot over a month ago inside the Mugri police outpost. Sub-inspector (S-I) Kesari Nandan Sahai, in-charge of the outpost, and a homeguard was purportedly seen standing on either end of a stick placed on top of 20-year-old Deepak Gupta who was accused of theft. Gupta is heard screaming in pain and pleading for mercy. The policemen were later seen assaulting Gupta and hurling abuses at him.

IG (Gorakhpur Range) Mohit Agarwal said S-I Sahai has been suspended. The commandant has been asked to act against the homeguard seen in the video Ram Karna Gupta, he added.

Paniyara police station house officer O P Chauhan identified Gupta and said his neighbour Sarita Devi had lodged the FIR against him alleging that he had stolen a laptop, jewellery and Rs 25,000 in cash from her house.