Video Producer: Shohini Bose
Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam
Video Input: Brijendra Dubey
A purported video of male police personnel beating up women – many of whom were Dalits – using lathis in Uttar Pradesh's Ambedkar Nagar has gone viral, sparking fresh allegations of police brutality in the Yogi Adityanath-ruled state.
The women were reportedly staging a protest on Sunday, 6 November, against the alleged vandalism of a BR Ambedkar statue in Jalalpur town that took place the previous day.
The video also shows cops flogging and hurling abuses at the women and a woman police personnel pulling at the hair of a protester.
The police, meanwhile, said they were trying to disperse the crowd when the protesters allegedly began pelting bricks and stones at them and their vehicles. They claimed that they only used "minor force" to bring the situation under control.
What Happened?
The protests were staged on Sunday after the Ambedkar statue in Jalalpur was defaced by unknown persons on 5 November. The incident was linked to a dispute between two groups over the land where the statue is located.
Speaking to the media, Ajit Kumar Sinha, SP of Ambedkar Nagar, said, "On 5 November 2022, an open statue of BR Ambedkar was defaced by unknown people. We are trying to arrest those responsible. Following a dispute between two groups, the SDM (Sub-Divisional Magistrate) held a meeting with both groups. And it was decided that a gate would be built around the statue to protect it."
The SP added that when a team from the local municipality arrived at the spot to build a boundary wall, some women gathered to protest.
"They started throwing stones at the police personnel. Police vehicles were vandalised and the personnel used mild force to disperse the women," he said.
A case has been registered and a probe is underway, the SP added.
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