On Monday (1st January), a video of a Dalit woman being beaten in public by a police officer in Bihar’s Sitamarhi went viral on social media.
The video showed a police officer in uniform, Raj Kishore Singh, thrashing a woman with a stick multiple times in full public display. The cop reportedly charged at the victim after she and another woman were involved in a public brawl.
#Bihar | Dalit Woman Beaten By Cop In Public View; Police Clarify
— NDTV (@ndtv) January 1, 2024
Read Here: https://t.co/tc6SPEY9Ll pic.twitter.com/JznOQDcRYf
However, the footage has not been validated by the police. Sitamarhi SP Manoj Kumar Tiwari told the media that if the officer is proven guilty, suitable action will be taken against him. OpIndia could not independently verify the validity of the footage.
Meanwhile, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla stated that civilians in Bihar were being “lathi-charged” while criminals roamed freely.
Shocker
— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) January 1, 2024
Dalit woman brutally thrashed by cop in Bihar ! After women , Anganwadi workers, kisan , teachers now Dalits thrashed in Bihar
In Bihar under Nitish Lalu there is jungle raj – free run for criminals and gangs but lathi , goli for common person
Where are Dalit Lives… pic.twitter.com/XZlfT5tVss
The event sparked a public outcry, particularly because the cop was in uniform at the time. The Sitamarhi Police have announced an official investigation into the event. Vinod Kumar, the Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) meanwhile claimed that the incident was connected to the kidnapping of a girl.
He added that once the girl was rescued, both parties went to the police station and clashed outside. According to Kumar, the argument caused traffic congestion on the road, causing the police officer to use his baton to disperse the crowd.
