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The Telangana high Court has taken suo moto cognizance of a letter filed by Advocate Umesh Chandra PVG which brings to the court’s attention an incident of police excess while implementing the nation-wide lockdown. The letter describes a video which went viral on social media of a cop in plain clothes beating up a man in front his young son, while other police officers watched. After this incident the police officer was suspended as an immediate action.
The advocate’s letter stated, “one such manifestly glaring abuse of authority by local police has been at full display in Wanaparthy on Thursday, April 2nd 2020 when a motorist who went out to get milk and other groceries to his parents, was assaulted by a policeman, constable not in uniform, on road. Regrettably, the other policemen stood like mute spectators and the victim was beaten up mercilessly in front of his own son. In the video floated on social media, it is as clear as daylight that the son pleaded with the policemen not to beat his father.”
The advocate demanded interim relief to direct the DGP, Telangana and SP, Wanaparthy to lodge FIR against the alleged perpetrators and also prayed for constituting a judicial committee to inquire into all incidents of police violence and use of force against the citizens in the state during lockdown.
Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan has asked the Advocate General of the state to report whether action has been taken and FIRs have been filed against all the officers involved. The court also observed that this was a one-off incident and cannot be extrapolated to mean that it was a usual occurrence. The case has been listed for hearing on April 17.
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