Viral video shows the accused with pistols and sticks, misbehaving with a statue of Ambedkar; police accused of suppressing the SC/ST Act.
Badaun: Police performance in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district is once again under scrutiny. The police have been accused of “covering up” the serious case of misbehavior and assault on Dalit wedding party members in the Faizganj Behat police station area. The victims claim the accused were armed and used casteist slurs, yet instead of registering a case under the SC/ST Act, the police merely charged them under sections of breach of peace.
What is the whole matter?
The incident is reported to have occurred late on November 12th. Dharampal Singh, a resident of Mewali village in the Ughaiti police station area, was traveling by car with his family and relatives to attend a wedding. It is alleged that two unidentified individuals overtook his car on the road and forced it to stop.
Dharampal Singh stated in his complaint that his car had a statue of Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar. Upon seeing this, the accused began using casteist slurs and attempted to attack him with a knife.
Hooliganism Caught on Video
According to a Dainik Bhaskar report, a video of the incident has also surfaced, exposing the police’s claims. It can be clearly seen in the video that one of the attackers is holding a transparent police-style baton, while the other is seen holding a pistol.
Questions about the police’s role
It is alleged that the police kept the case on hold for two days. Only when the video of the incident went viral on social media on the night of November 13th and higher officials took cognizance did the local police take action. The police quickly arrested one accused, Neetu, but he was also charged only with breach of peace (Section 151). The other accused remains at large.
Weapons not recovered, serious charges missing
Surprisingly, despite the weapon visible in the video, the police have not yet recovered either the transparent stick or the pistol. The victim alleges that they filed a complaint under the SC/ST Act, which the police ignored.
In this case, Station House Officer Rajkumar Singh confirmed that action has been taken against one accused for breach of peace. However, the police’s intentions are being questioned for ignoring serious charges.
Rajan Chaudhary
Courtesy: Hindi News