In yet another incident of police brutality against those violating the lockdown orders amid the coronavirus outbreak, migrant workers in Uttar Pradesh's Badaun were forced to crawl on the road wearing their bags as punishment by the police.
In the video which has been widely circulated and condemned on social media on Thursday, 26 March, three to four men with backpacks, can be seen hopping and crawling, while a policeman brandishes a lathi.
The incident took place on the Bareilly-Badaun road in the Civil Lines police station area, PTI reported quoting the police.
The men, who are from villages in the Badaun district, were returning from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh after the 21-day nationwide lockdown to fight the coronavirus pandemic left them jobless, PTI reported.
‘I Apologise For this’: Badaun SSP
Meanwhile, the Badaun Police acknowledged the incident, and later released a video where the SSP clarified the matter, apologised and spoke about the action taken.
Blaming the incident on the foolishness of one policeman, Badaun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ashok Kumar Tripathi said, "The policeman is inexperienced. He had joined the force a year back and is on probation."
“Being the police chief of the district, I feel sorry and apologise for this,” Tripathi said.
The constable has now been shifted from the police post, an official added.
Tripathi said SP (City) Jitendra Kumar has been asked to probe the incident and action will be taken on the basis of the inquiry report, the SSP said, according to PTI.
Talking to a news channel, he regretted that one policeman's action had tarnished the image of the entire force, which he said is doing a lot of good work.
He added that police are helping migrant labourers returning home with food, water and vehicles to take them to their villages.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI.)
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