New Delhi: Police highhandedness witnessed a new high when a traffic cop displayed his unwarranted aggression by assaulting a man at a public place in Madhya Pradesh’s capital Bhopal. It happened as the man stood near the Governor’s convoy. The policeman pushed the man, as he was taken unawares. He fell to the ground after being shoved with force. The cop then assaulted the man brutally, kicked him and slapped him hard as he went on his way.
The entire incident has been captured on CCTV and has gone viral on social media. It occurred at the Anand Nagar intersection as the Governor’s convoy was passing through the road. The video shows a man, who was standing near the convoy, caught the attention of the traffic police. Without any clear reason, the cop swiftly went towards him and pushed him down and then started beating him up in full view of the public.
The Bhopal traffic police brutally assaulted a common man who was watching the convoy of the Governor of Madhya Pradesh, throwing him to the ground and kicking him. This is a blot on democracy
@CMMadhyaPradesh @MPPoliceDeptt @PMOIndia @DGP_MP @GovernorMP #Bhopal pic.twitter.com/J8ErqvGvdT— ajay dubey (@Ajaydubey9) January 19, 2025
Video goes viral, triggers public outcry
The viral video has triggered public outcry on social media, forcing the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for Traffic to order a thorough probe into the incident. According to Additional DCP Vikram Raghuvanshi, the Governor is under Z+ security, and access to the convoy is restricted to check any potential accident. The ACP of Traffic Police has been ordered to review CCTV footage in order to identify the man involved and investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The DCP has issued instruction to an ACP-level officer to lead the probe. Sources said that the video footage has been collected, and statements are being recorded. While the probe may take some time, the facts will ultimately be revealed.
Incident raises pertinent questions
As the probe is carried out, the incident raises questions about the way common citizens are treated by those who are assigned the job to protect them, in the first place. The pertinent question is why did the cop abuse his power when there was no apparent threat being posed by the man to the convoy? Even if the cop wanted to check the man from coming too close to the convoy, was such brutal, violent force unleashed by him necessary, at all? Why wasn’t the road cleared before the convoy appeared on the road if security was the real concern? Without any apparent provocation or threat to security, was the cop legally allowed to use force? These questions need to be answered as the probe progresses.
