New Delhi: In a video that went viral on social media platforms Wednesday, a Uttar Pradesh Police personnel can be seen kicking a man who falls off an embankment into the river Ganga.
The officer in question has been identified as Sheshdhar Pandey, station house officer (SHO) of Vindhyachal Kotwali police station, Mirzapur. The incident took place Wednesday in Mirzapur’s Vindhyachal, which is around 300 kms from Lucknow.
In a bizarre incident, an inspector kicked a man standing at the bank of Ganga river and watching a rescue operation in UP's Mirzapur district. The man, on the edge, fell as he lost balance after the sudden kick in the leg by the cop. @Uppolice
Via @Mirzapuriy pic.twitter.com/DhrXqKq9CK
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) July 29, 2020
According to a statement released by the Mirzapur police, a crowd had gathered on the banks of the Ganga in Vindhyachal’s Diwan ghat after a youth accidentally drowned in the river.
SHO Pandey was present in the area during the search operation for the youth’s body.
The Mirzapur police, in its statement, also said Pandey had no “intention” of hurting the man and was only trying to make sure the crowd maintained social distancing at the spot.
The statement further said that since Pandey was speaking over the phone at the time, he had “hinted” at the man, using his leg, to move away but “accidentally” hit him, resulting in the fall.
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Officer warned via ‘personal letter’
The Mirzapur police also tweeted Wednesday evening that Pandey has been warned through a “personal letter” and an order for a preliminary inquiry into the incident ordered.
प्रकरण के संबंध में प्रभारी निरीक्षक विन्ध्यांचल को व्यक्तिगत पत्रावली पर चेतावनी दी गयी एवं सम्पूर्ण घटना क्रम में तथ्यों की जानकारी हेतु क्षेत्राधिकारी नगर को प्रकरण की प्रारंभिक जाँच करने के आदेश दिये गये है।
— Mirzapur Police (@mirzapurpolice) July 29, 2020
Dharmveer Singh, superintendent of police, Mirzapur, told ThePrint, “The deputy superintendent of police has been asked to conduct an inquiry into the matter and a personal letter has also been issued to the SHO, warning him.”
“The video has been recorded and released in a way to blame Pandey. It was not his fault. One man had drowned, and he was just trying to distance the crowd,” K.N. Maurya, sub inspector of Vindhyachal police station, told ThePrint.
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What do mean warn him? How would the police treat if a civilian did that to another civilian? Charge that cop with attempt to murder.