Delhi cops under probe for assaulting eatery owner

The shopkeeper, Mohammad Ibrahim, said that the incident happened at about 11:45 pm when he was shutting his food joint.

The station house officer (SHO) and two constables of the Sarita Vihar police station on Thursday allegedly assaulted a 44-year-old shopkeeper in Jasola Vihar. A video of the purported incident went viral the next day.

The station house officer (SHO) and two constables of the Sarita Vihar police station on Thursday allegedly assaulted a 44-year-old shopkeeper in Jasola Vihar. (Photo by Raj K Raj / Hindustan Times)Representative Image (Hindustan Times)

The shopkeeper, Mohammad Ibrahim, said that the incident happened at about 11:45 pm when he was shutting his food joint.

“SHO Ajab Singh and his two constables arrived and started thrashing me for no reason. They were inebriated. When I asked the reason for their actions, they threatened me. Other shopkeepers who witnessed the assault fled,” he said. “I have suffered multiple injuries. I later submitted a complaint at the Sarita Vihar police station.”

Senior police officers said they were probing the allegations and yet to lodge an FIR.

An investigating officer, who is not authorised to speak to media, said that Ibrahim ran a shop on land encroached by a man who is wanted in a case of land grabbing in Kalindi Kunj and is absconding.

Preliminary questioning into the incident revealed that the SHO had asked Ibrahim to shut the shop thrice but he continued to run it, he added, leading to the scuffle.

Ibrahim said that he pays ₹10,000 his landlord to run his shop.

Deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Chinmoy Biswal said the matter has been brought to their knowledge. “We are looking into the allegations. The matter will be probed from all the possible angles and we will ensure proper action,” Biswal said.