India: Viral video shows policeman drag man by hair and beat him, for allegedly not paying bribe
After the video sparked outrage online, two cops were suspended
Dubai: A video showing a man being dragged by his hair, by a policeman in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh's Barwani district sparked outrage among social media users, today. The man identified as Prem Singh is seen at the feet of a policeman, who then pulls him by his hair. The incident once again sparked an online discussion about police brutality in the country.
According to local news reports, Singh, a shopkeeper, alleged that the policemen assaulted him after he refused to pay them a bribe.
A twitter user @Sarabje58138851 posted: "What a shame for this police person, how dare they treat someone like this."
Tweep @prab_at posted: "This is shameless police act. Utterly disgusting!"
Another twitter user @anupam5882 commented: "These cops should be probed and punished harshly. How dare they touched the man's turban, if he was somehow guilty they could have handled it more gracefully rather than showing such disrespect!"
Talking to a news source, Madhya Pradesh State Congress spokesperson Narendra Saluja said: "The concerned man Prem Singh has long been running a shop near the Pulsood police station. He was beaten, his turban desecrated and then he was pulled through hair on the road."
After the videos went viral, Madhya Pradesh state Home Minister, Dr Narrottam Mishra said action had been taken against the two policemen, and that they had been suspended, reportedly. Barwani district Superintendent of Police Nimish Agrawal has also ordered a probe into the incident.