An incident of a Bihar police officer allegedly thrashing a woman in public has drawn widespread condemnation after its purported video went viral on social media.

The incident took place in Sursand area in Sitamarhi district on Saturday but the video went viral on social media on Monday.

In the video, Inspector Raj Kishore Singh of Sursand police station is seen striking a middle-aged woman with a stick in public while some others looked on.

PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

Locals claimed the woman sustained injuries in the police action and was subsequently admitted to a private nursing home for treatment, while the police claimed she was not injured.

The police claimed Singh was trying to separate two women brawling on the road, amid demands by locals for action against the inspector, and that the brawl broke out between the two women regarding a kidnapping case and it caused a traffic jam outside the police station.

A statement issued by the district police stated on Monday: "A probe has been ordered into the incident. Action will be initiated against the police officer posted at Sursand police station only after receiving the report. A sub-divisional police officer has been designated to probe the incident and also examine the authenticity of the video."