Amit Kumar Sharma said the incident was recorded by journalists who were with him. (ANI Photo/Screengrab)A 30-year-old journalist Amit Kumar Sharma was allegedly thrashed by police personnel and later locked behind bars at a Government Railway Police station (GRP) in Shamli on Tuesday. The incident occurred after an argument took place between policemen and Amit Kumar near the police station when he had gone Tuesday night to report on the derailment of a goods train.
Kumar, a native of Jalalpur village in Shamli, told The Indian Express, “I rushed to the spot with two other journalists to cover the derailment. While I was covering the incident, SHO pushed me following which my camera fell down. When I reasoned with him, he suddenly started abusing me. Later, a police constable thrashed me.”
#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
“Policemen dragged me to the police station which is around 200 metres from the spot. I was put behind bars and policemen harassed me by urinating on me. This morning, policemen released me. They were annoyed because I ran a story against them last month,” he added.
Kumar said the incident was recorded by the other journalists who were with him.
In a video which went viral, Pawar and Rakesh are seen thrashing Amit Kumar. In another video, Amit Kumar is seen behind bars at the police station.
Kumar was released this morning, after several journalists reached the police station and staged a protest. They demanded registration of an FIR against the SHO and constable.
DIG Railway (Moradabad), Subhash Chand Dubey suspended Station House Officer (SHO), GRP (Shamli), Rakesh Kumar and police constable Sanjay Pawar on charges of negligence.
“An inquiry has been ordered in the matter and on the basis of its report further action would be taken,” Dubey said, adding that the medical examination of policemen was also conducted and its report was negative.
Subhash Dubey said no case has been lodged against the journalist.
