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2 Sidhi cops who stripped 8 MP men at police station, clicked photos suspended
BJP MLA Kedarnath Shukla justified the first arrest of Neeraj Kunder who he alleged put out offensive posts on social media under a fake name, but stressed he had no idea what happened at the Sidhi police station. Even I don’t support stripping anyone and want fair inquiry in the matter, he said
BHOPAL: Two Madhya Pradesh police officers who stripped eight people including a local journalist who runs a YouTube channel at a police station have been suspended, Sidhi superintendent of police (SP) Mukesh Shrivastava said on Friday.
The action against the two police officers, Kotwali police station in-charge Mukesh Soni and sub-inspector Abhishek Singh Parihar, came after outrage on and off social media over the police officers stripping the eight men and subsequent efforts to shield the police personnel involved.
On Thursday when the photograph of the eight men standing in their undergarments went viral on social media, the police brass initially only ordered a probe. Later, it was announced by inspector general of police Rewa that the police station in-charge Mukesh Soni had been removed and sent to police lines.
24 hours later, Sidhi SP Mukesh Shrivastava said the two officers had been suspended.
“The matter is being investigated by an additional superintendent of police (Addl SP) and we can’t comment before the completion of the inquiry,” Shrivastava said.
Journalist Kanishk Tiwari, who runs a YouTube channel and was one of the eight men seen in the viral photos, said he along with a few Congress workers and other theatre artists were arrested on April 2 over a protest against the arrest of theatre artist Neeraj Kunder at Sidhi police station.
“As a local journalist of a news channel and regional YouTube journalist, I was present for the coverage but the police felt offended at being asked questions. Mukesh Soni received a call and suddenly police personnel started beating us. They arrested us under sections 151 (knowingly joining or continuing in assembly of five or more persons after it has been commanded to disperse), 152 (obstructing public servant when suppressing riots) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of IPC,” Tiwari said.
According to police, Kunder was arrested for allegedly operating a fake account and making obscene remarks against Bharatiya Janata Party (MLA) Kedarnath Shukla and his son, Guru Dutt, on social media. The politician’s family had complained to the Sidhi SP about offensive social media posts, and later on local TV channels, effusively praised the district police’s prompt action to arrest Kunder, identified by the police as the man behind the social media account.
At the police station, Tiwari said that at around 2 pm, Soni asked other police personnel to strip us. “They paraded us in a half-naked condition and sub inspector Abhishek Singh was making videos and clicking pictures. Police personnel beat us, pulled our hair and also threatened us with dire consequences for writing against the local BJP MLA and police. All the police personnel were enjoying and mocking us, said Tiwari.
Some of the photographs emerged on social media. Mukesh Soni tried to defend stripping the eight people, arguing that it was a precaution to ensure that suspects held in the police station did not harm themselves. On social media, many questioned the bizarre explanation and wondered why the policemen were being shielded.
On Friday, MLA Kedarnath Shukla defended Neeraj Kunder’s arrest but distanced himself from the subsequent police conduct.
“My family members including me, my son and daughters are being defamed through a fake social media profile. A man was continuously making objectionable and obscene comments against us. We filed a complaint. Police arrested Neeraj Kunder. Later, a few people were staging protests and I don’t know what happen between the police and protestors. Even I don’t support stripping anyone and want fair inquiry in the matter,” the BJP MLA said.
