A head constable was suspended after he was caught on camera humiliating a young woman and her family with objectionable remarks when they had gone to a police station in Kanpur to report a case of molestation.
As per a video clip of the incident, which was widely shared on social media on Thursday, a head constable at the Nazirabad police station could be seen questioning the woman’s dress sense and linking it to her alleged molestation.
While the victim had gone to the police station with her mother and brother to lodge the complaint, the policeman could be seen repeatedly questioning her about the ornaments like rings and bangles that she was wearing.
“Why are you wearing six (ornaments)? Do you gain anything out of it, I am asking. Then why are you wearing all this,” the policeman could be heard berating the victim in Hindi.
“Isi se dikhai de jata hai ki tum kya ho (All this just shows what you are),” the constable is heard telling the woman.
The viral video of the incident caused much outrage on social media, with Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra taking to Twitter to slam the State government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the insensitivity shown by the U.P. police.
“This is how a girl who goes to the police station to lodge a complaint of molestation is treated. On one hand, crimes against women are not stopping in U.P. On the other, this is how the guardians of law behave,” Ms. Vadra tweeted in Hindi.
Raveena Tyagi, Additional SP (South) Kanpur Nagar, said the constable had been suspended with immediate effect for his behaviour and departmental action had also been initiated.
Noting that the complainant’s brother had also gotten into a scuffle with the accused, identified as Amar Tiwari, Ms. Tyagi said both cases had been registered by the police.
