Shopkeeper alleges assault by police

Greater Noida: An 18-year-old shopkeeper has alleged that he, along with his mother and uncle, were assaulted by the police when they refused to give money to them

Greater Noida: An 18-year-old shopkeeper has alleged that he, along with his mother and uncle, were assaulted by the police when they refused to give money to them for running the shop. The police, however, have denied the allegations.

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The incident came to fore on Friday when a video of the family members started circulating on social media in which they alleged that they were framed in a false case after they refused to pay money to local police personnel. They have also said that they wrote to the UP chief minister in this regard.

The shopkeeper, a resident of Alpha 2 sector, runs a paan vend with his family members in a local market under the Beta 2 police jurisdiction. In his complaint to the CM, he alleged that on July 14, a few policemen came to their shop demanding Rs 300 per day for running the shop but the family refused.

“They must have been miffed at our refusal to pay the money because when I was closing the shop that night around 9.30pm, they said that I was violating rules and one constable started assaulting me with a stick. When I tried to defend myself, they alleged that I had assaulted a policeman on duty and I would be sent to jail for this,” said the shopkeeper.

In a video of his mother circulating online, she has claimed that she was also beaten up and her son and brother-in-law were sent to jail for two days in a false case after the family refused to pay the extortion money.

“My son had told me that two police constables had been bothering them for at least 15 days. He got hurt severely while trying to defend me as well from the sticks of the policemen,” said the woman.

The police officials have, however, denied all the allegations.

“They were simply asked to close their shop as it was past the curfew time, but they refused. When the elderly man was detained, the youngster assaulted the police personnel with a stick. Two of them sustained injuries and we have their medical reports. Afterwards, they were both booked for interfering with government work,” said Sujeet Kumar Upadhyay, station house officer, Beta 2 police station.

A case was registered against the shopkeeper and his uncle under sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant in the execution of his duty) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code, the police said.

The police officials said that a probe in the matter is underway.