GUWAHATI: The Assam Police ordered a probe into an incident of assault on a special child by a cop in Guwahati that triggered an outrage on social media.
The police said action will be taken against the erring cop.
Additional Director General of Police, GP Singh, told journalists he had visited the house of the child and expressed regrets on his behalf and on behalf of the Assam Police. He also said that all personnel will be sensitised to avoid the recurrence of such incidents.
"Reference Facebook post of Sri Palash Chaliha regarding policeman beating up Sri Chaliha's child, who also happens to be a special child. Please rest assured action would be taken against the erring policeman. No compromise on such issues," Singh had tweeted earlier.
The probe was ordered by Guwahati Police Commissioner Munna Prasad Gupta.
The incident drew the attention of people after Chaliha had uploaded a video on Facebook that showed injury marks on the back of his son who was in excruciating pain.
"My son was beaten up by a policeman who did not ask us any question. When I took up the matter with the officer-in-charge (of a police station), he threatened to put both of us in the lock-up," Chaliha said in the video.
The 16-year-old child had to face the wrath of the cops for venturing out during curfew, enforced in Guwahati from 6 pm-6 am, to check the rising cases of COVID-19. The man and his son were riding a two-wheeler when the cop had sprung the stick.
He has cerebral palsy and Chaliha said they had ventured out for because his son needed medical attention. A constable had wielded the stick on the child at the city's Bharalumukh area.
Arman Ali of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People lauded the police's timely response. He was hopeful that the police would use Section 92 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, against the guilty cop.
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