A sub-inspector in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, has been transferred and is under investigation following allegations of an unprovoked assault on a passerby, sparking public outrage.
A sub-inspector posted at the Banke Bihari temple police outpost in Vrindavan has been attached to the police lines and an inquiry has been ordered after a complaint alleged that he assaulted a passerby without provocation, officials said on Tuesday.
Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar took the action following a complaint by the victim, Ashish Srivastava, a resident of Gaura Nagar.
According to the complaint, the incident took place on Sunday when Srivastava was passing near the Thakur Banke Bihari temple market on his motorcycle.
At the same time, sub-inspector Subodh Malik and other police personnel posted at the outpost were bringing a juvenile accused in a mobile phone theft case.
Srivastava said he stopped after receiving a phone call, following which the sub-inspector allegedly mistook him for someone recording a video of the police action and, without any enquiry, allegedly caught him by the collar, pulled him off the bike and beat him.
The incident was reportedly captured on a CCTV installed at a nearby shop. The video later went viral on social media on Monday, showing the officer allegedly assaulting the youth and taking him to the police outpost.
Taking cognisance of the complaint, the SSP attached the sub-inspector to the police lines and directed a probe into the matter, officials said.