A police official has been “caught on camera beating a Dalit woman with a baton”. This happened in full public view in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district. Locals have protested and demanded action against the police official.
In the video which has gone viral, a middle-aged woman is beaten repeatedly with a baton in full public view on a road, allegedly by a police official Raj Kishore Singh. He is reportedly in-charge of the Sursand police station of Sitamarhi district. Reports say the police official was trying to separate two women who were brawling on the street.
“Appropriate action will be taken, if the officer is found guilty”, said Sitamarhi Superintendent of Police Manoj Tiwari. The incident, though, triggered public outrage. People have demanded action against Raj Kishore Singh.
“It’s nothing but jungle raj in Bihar. Now, where do common people go, if police officials perpetrate such brutality in full public view?”, asked State BJP leader Bhim Singh. “While criminals and thieves have a free run in the state, common people are being thrashed in public by policemen”.
Meanwhile, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Vinod Kumar said the incident is linked with the abduction of a girl. “The abducted girl was rescued but, two sides known to the girl visited the police station and brawled outside. Their scuffle led to a traffic jam on the road and the policeman seen in the video used his baton to disperse the crowd”, Mr Kumar clarified.
