A sub-inspector posted with the Varanasi police has been suspended after he threw corn that were kept on a cart at roadside and then eventually overturned a hawker's cart. A departmental inquiry has been initiated against the cop after a video showing the entire incident went viral.
The deplorable act was circulated widely on the internet and the police apologized for what happened to the hawker. He was compensated for the loss. A video was later circulated by the Varanasi police in which a senior police personnel is seen talking to the hawker and assuring him that this will not be repeated.
What happened?
In the earlier clip, which is of 30-seconds, Sub-Inspector Varun Kumar Shashi is seen picking up corn cobs placed on a cart and scattering them everywhere. He eventually overturns the entire cart and then scoots away.
According to the Varanasi police, "A video is going viral on social media showing Sub-Inspector Varun Kumar Shashi overturning a corn-laden hand cart in Shivpur area of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The policeman has been suspended, departmental inquiry initiated. Compensation has been given to the handcart owner."
The reason behind Sub-Inspector's outburst however remains unknown. Sources have however stated that the hawker sold corn cob even after 5 pm. The local lockdown comes into effect at 5 pm.
Twitter was all out supporting the hawker and applauding the police for taking timely action of suspending the sub-inspector for the unacceptable act.
Other shocking incidents
Earlier, a video had emerged from Ahmedabad in which policemen were seen toppling vegetable carts, most likely in connection with the lockdown. The DGP of Gujarat ordered the suspension of cops involved in the act.
A similar incident happened in Mumbai when a woman's vegetable cart was overturned by officials of Mumbai Police. The incident led to a scuffle after she was disallowed to sell vegetables in a containment zone in the city. The video was posted on Twitter and had attracted a lot of attention.
In May and June, there were reports of police damaging vegetable carts at Prayagraj and Meerut and that time the coronavirus lockdown was in place.
