Bhopal: Six personnel, including a woman constable, of Government Railway Police (GRP) were suspended and transferred on Thursday after a widely shared video from October 2023 showed them thrashing a Dalit woman and her grandson inside the police station at Katni in Madhya Pradesh.
The action came after Kusum Vanshkar, the 55-year-old woman seen in the video, wrote to the Madhya Pradesh chief minister and the state human rights commission on 27 August complaining that the GRP registered a ‘fake’ case of theft against her son Deepak.
On 29 October last year, she wrote to CM Mohan Yadav, the GRP reached their home and dragged her and her grandson Deepraj, 15, to the GRP police station. Kusum accused inspector Aruna Vahane of dragging her by her hair and other policemen of thrashing Deepraj to force them to accept that Deepak was a criminal.
Incidentally, another video showed five police personnel holding Deepraj by his hands, head, feet while another policeman thrashing him on his feet using a stick. ThePrint cannot independently verify the authenticity of the videos.
On Thursday, CM Mohan Yadav posted on ‘X’ that he had immediately directed a senior officer to look into the matter after the video came to his notice.
थाना जी.आर.पी कटनी के अधिकारी/कर्मचारियों द्वारा मारपीट का एक पुराना वीडियो सोशल मीडिया पर वायरल हो रहा है। मेरे संज्ञान में आने पर तुरंत आज सुबह DIG Rail को जांच हेतु मौके पर भेजने का निर्देश दिया गया था। प्रारंभिक जांच अनुसार तत्कालीन थाना प्रभारी जी.आर.पी कटनी सहित एक प्रधान…
— Dr Mohan Yadav (@DrMohanYadav51) August 29, 2024
Kusum also alleged that the next day she was produced before the magistrate while her grandson was left.
The two, she wrote, were admitted at the government hospital for five days for treatment of the injuries sustained from the beating. “Despite a complaint against the GRP personnel, no action was taken. Moreover, we were pressured to either withdraw our complaint or face fraudulent charges being levied against again for sale of drugs and weapons,” read the letter addressed to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
After a hue and cry over the videos, the GRP initiated an inquiry and the Superintendent of Police, GRP-Jabalpur, Shimla Prasad reached Katni on Thursday to look into the matter.
The SP told the media that Deepak was a history-sheeter with 19 cases against him. “Deepak, who was involved in multiple theft cases, also has a reward of Rs 10,000. It was in this connection that the family members were called to the police station for inquiry. While Kusum has no criminal cases, Deepraj has a case against him at Katni police station from last year,” he told the media.
Regarding the details, the senior police officer said that the five GRP personnel were already sent to the GRP lines as they are facing inquiry. “Detailed statements are being recorded. Based on the findings of the report, necessary action will be taken,” he added.
(Edited by Tony Rai)