Two Bihar cops suspended after video of them thrashing a man goes viral

The video shows SHO of Bakharpur police station Bijendra Paswan, assistant sub-inspector Lal Babu Yadav and SAP (special auxiliary police) jawans assaulting 32-year-old Neeraj Yadav in front of his children

Two police officers, including a station house officer (SHO), in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district were suspended after a video showing them thrashing a man in custody went viral on social media. The viral clip shows the policemen roughing up a man after pinning him down on the road. The video triggered uproar on social media.

Representational image.

According to a complaint lodged by one Gudia Devi before the Bhagalpur range DIG on August 2, the SHO of Bakharpur police station Bijendra Paswan, assistant sub-inspector Lal Babu Yadav and SAP (special auxiliary police) jawans assaulted 32-year-old Neeraj Yadav in front of his children. The complaint alleged that the policemen also falsely implicated him in a case under the Arms Act.

DIG Sujit Kumar asked the sub divisional police officer (SDPO) of Kahalgaon to investigate the matter and submit a detailed report. Following the DIG’s instructions, the SDPO found that Yadav was accused in an SC/ST related case and a police team led by Bijendra Paswan used force when they raided his house to nab him. “Both the policemen were in uniform. It is disgraceful to the police department,” read the SDPO’s report submitted on August 14.

DIG Sujit Kumar told HT that the accused policemen had been suspended late Thursday evening after the department received the inquiry report. “The SHO and ASI have been suspended for their unacceptable behaviour. It was a disgusting and condemnable act of indiscipline. All the SAP jawans of police station were shifted from field duty to the police lines,” he added.

However, the suspended SHO has claimed that Yadav first assaulted and abused the constables.