New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) A video went viral on social media on Wednesday showing a food vendor in Janakpuri District Centre wailing and pleading with a policeman to let him ply his business with his utensils thrown on the ground.
Delhi Police, within hours, issued a statement saying the man deliberately threw his wares about to create disturbance and blame the police.
The video showed a crowd gathered around a policeman accusing him of abuse of power as he tried to speak to someone on the phone.
The vendor alleged that the policeman had thrown away the food he was selling.
“I don’t fight with anyone ever. I just come here for two hours to earn a living,” he is heard saying in the video.
A police officer said that an enquiry into the incident found the allegations to be false.
“Several members of the public gathered at the spot and were seen confronting and blaming the policeman over the alleged act,” the officer said.
According to the police, the incident took place on August 1 after complaints were received about obstruction of the pedestrian pathway near Kali Mata Mandir in the West Delhi market.
A row erupted when the police asked the vendor to remove the encroachment from the footpath.
“During the action, the vendor himself threw his food items on the ground while resisting lawful directions and started shouting so that people would gather and blame the police officer,” the officer said.
Following the incident, the vendor was booked under Section 285 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation) of the BNS, he said.
The police said the man was a repeat offender and had earlier also been booked for a similar violation, as they urged the public not to fall for social media rumours. PTI BM VN VN
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