3 policemen suspended for thrashing tempo driver in Delhi

Three policemen were suspended for brutally thrashing two people, including a minor, after a scuffle broke out in North West Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar on Sunday evening. The policemen have been suspended for their "unprofessional behaviour".

A police official said further legal action will be taken after an inquiry is conducted by the deputy commissioner of police (northwest) and the additional DCP and ACP of Mukherjee Nagar. Additional PRO (Delhi Police) Anil Mittal said the policemen suspended handled the incident on Sunday evening in an unprofessional manner.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening after the tempo driver's vehicle collided with a police van in northwest Delhi. Things took an ugly turn when the driver pulled out a sword and attacked a police officer on duty.

The incident was captured by a passerby and made viral on social media. In the video, the policemen were seen thrashing a tempo driver with their batons.

Soon after the incident went viral, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest Delhi) Vijyanta Arya suspended Assistant Sub-inspector Sanjay Malik and Devendra and constable Pushpendra in connection with the case.

While it is alleged that the policemen dragged the driver and his minor son, belonging to the Sikh community, out of their auto and thrashed them for "no reason", the policemen have blamed the tempo driver for the incident, saying he attacked a police officer with a sword.

In one of the purported videos, the driver was seen chasing policemen with a sword in his hand, while in another video, the policemen were seen thrashing him with lathis in an attempt to overpower him. A police officer was also injured in the incident.

"The alleged incident was followed by an accident caused by a Gramin Sewa tempo to a police vehicle. Thereafter, a police officer was also assaulted on the head by the tempo driver with a sword," a police communique said, adding that the driver drove dangerously.

As the incident went viral, former Delhi Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee president Manjit Singh GK compared it with the 1984 riots case and said, "Policemen stopped the auto driver and pointed a pistol at him, he was later dragged out of the vehicle and brutally thrashed."

Manjinder Singh Sirsa, BJP MLA from Rajouri Garden, said that the policemen insulted the man by attacking his turban. He also protested outside the Mukherjee Nagar police station until late Sunday night. Sirsa also tweeted that the driver pulled out the sword in self-defense.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, too, has demanded an investigation into the incident. Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal demanded strict action against those guilty.

"Delhi Police brutality in Mukherjee Nagar is highly condemnable and unjustified. I demand an impartial probe into the whole incident & strict action against the guilty. Protectors of citizens can't be allowed to turn into uncontrolled violent mobsters," Kejriwal tweeted.