The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Chhindwara Superintendent of Police (SP) to take appropriate action within eight weeks in an incident relating to the thrashing of a man by the police in May.
The commission on June 3 was responding to a petition filed by New Delhi-based advocate Brajesh Singh, and asked the SP to inform him of the action taken in the matter.
In a video that went viral on the social media, a policeman is seen thrashing the man, who they claim was drunk, with a baton till he collapses to the ground, where he endures another set of blows and a kick. Then, he is lifted and taken inside a police van.
The police have so far suspended two personnel reportedly involved in the incident, and an inquiry is pending.
Mr. Singh filed the petition based on media reports. “This incident is very brutal, therefore the intervention of the commission is much more warranted,” he said.
On April 9, Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police Vivek Johri had warned the police of action in case of misbehaviour with the public. “Incidents of misbehaviour by the police should be stopped immediately. For this, police superintendents will be held responsible.”
A day before, the Bhopal police had allegedly thrashed two junior resident doctors of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal , while they were returning home after duty. The same day, the Mandla police reportedly manhandled a bank manager.
In another instance of police thrashing people during the lockdown, a farmer died while undergoing treatment in Jabalpur after being reportedly beaten up by the police which claimed he violated the lockdown. Whereas, on March 23, the Betul police allegedly thrashed a diabetic lawyer as he walked towards the hospital for treatment. Later, they claimed it was a case of mistaken identity as they thought he was a Muslim , since he sported a beard.
