A video clip has gone viral of policemen in Ahmedabad publicly flogging a few men who allegedly threw stones injuring six persons and damaging vehicles including a police car to disturb a Navratri Garba event. The video shared on social media platforms invited strong reactions about the police excess.
According to the police, a few people from the minority community tried to prevent the Garba event which was held in an open space adjacent to a mosque and a temple.
Accused of pelting stones after they tried to disturb the Garba event, nine persons were publicly flogged by the cops amidst cheering from hundreds of people who gathered when the policemen started caning the accused in the open.
Stones pelted during Navratri event
The incident occurred in a village in Kheda where a few persons belonging to a minority community allegedly first tried to prevent the Garba event. Subsequently, a few persons allegedly pelted stones at the venue in which several persons received minor injuries while vehicles including a police car were damaged.
The stone pelting incident occurred on Monday late night, following which the police lodged an FIR identified nine persons who had allegedly thrown stones and brought to Undhela village where the incident was reported from.
Policemen and crowds watch on as a man is flogged in Kheda | Photo Credit: via Twitter
Each of nine persons was called in front of the public and the policemen began canning one by one as the crowd hailed the police action cheering the cops. The villagers hailed the police action by shouting "Gujarat Police Zindabad" slogans.
Gujarat Congress MLA Gyasuddin Sheikh said that the way the police dealt with the accused was not proper. “The police cannot flog the accused publicly. The government must take action against the policemen who are seen in the video publicly flogging the accused,” Mr. Sheikh said.
The incident also triggered reactions on social media platforms as several video clips of the incident went viral.
