Lucknow: A police constable posted at PGI police station was suspended on Friday after pictures and videos showing severe injury marks on a man’s body went viral on social media.
The victim, Rohit Tiwari of Balram Mohalla in Faizullaganj, accused the police of torturing him by third-degree methods following a dispute over the theft of a mobile phone. Rohit said the incident began around 11 am on Wednesday when a youth, Abhishek Kumar, reached his home with several friends and demanded the return of a mobile phone he claimed Rohit had stolen. Rohit denied the allegation, and when the situation escalated into a fight, he called 112 to call the police. Officers arrived, questioned Abhishek, and after briefly detaining him and his friends, released them.
However, Rohit said head constable Ashutosh Singh of the PGI police station later called him to the Vrindavan Yojana police station for questioning. Rohit was allegedly assaulted by Singh, who allegedly pressured him to confess to the theft. Rohit said he was detained overnight and subjected to violence.
The next morning, he was charged with “breach of the peace”. Rohit showed reporters injuries on his body, claiming he was beaten with a belt, kicked in the chest and stomach and left bruises all over. His ordeal was captured in pictures and videos that quickly went viral on social media.
Following the release of these images, Deputy Commissioner of Police Shashank Singh announced the suspension of Head Constable Ashutosh Singh based on a report by the Deputy Commissioner of Police. ACP Vikas Jaiswal has been assigned to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, Singh said.
Inspector Ravi Shankar Tripathi of the PGI police station said the incident arose out of a theft complaint that was investigated over the past two months. He, however, denied allegations of police misconduct.