BHUBANESWAR: A home guard was placed under suspension on Thursday after CCTV footage of him purportedly kicking and abusing a chaiwala at a roadside kiosk in the state capital went viral on social media.
In the video footage, home guard AK Biswal of PCR-29 can be seen chiding the tea vendor, a minor, and kicking him for keeping the shop open beyond the permissible time of 6 am to 1 pm during the partial lockdown.
The ordeal of the victim did not end there as two other police personnel of the PCR van also took away some articles from his shop before leaving the spot.
The Commissionerate Police was left red-faced after CCTV footage of the incident which reportedly occurred after 3 pm on Tuesday went viral.
Preliminary investigations suggested that the incident took place at Kesura. “The home guard has been placed under suspension and an Additional DCP rank officer has been directed to conduct a detailed inquiry into the matter," said Bhubaneswar DCP Umashankar Dash.
The patrolling party in a PCR van comprises a team of at least four personnel including the driver. The police are investigating who were the police personnel on duty along with Biswal when the incident occurred.
Human rights activist Biswapriya Kanungo condemned the police brutality against the minor. “Hit by the coronavirus pandemic, people are struggling to save their lives and livelihoods. Police can take action as per law if anyone commits any crime. But the assault on the minor boy has endangered his right to live with dignity,” said Kanungo.
Jharsuguda Additional Tehsildar Jobita Tirkey had drawn flak last month for allegedly assaulting a fruit vendor for continuing his business after the permissible time limit during the lockdown period.
Last year, a sub-inspector and a constable were placed under suspension by Jagatsinghpur police for assaulting people out on the streets during the lockdown.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), civilians getting injured during police operations have increased in Odisha. At least 12 persons were injured during police operations in the state in 2019 though no such incident was reported in 2018.