A journalist who was covering a goods train derailment in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district was taken into custody, thrashed and urinated on by the Government Railway Police on Tuesday.
The journalist was working for Hindi TV channel News 24 and alleged that he was stripped and harassed at the GRP police station in Shamli, reports Times Now.
"They were in plain clothes. One hit my camera and it fell down. When I picked it up, they hit and abused me. I was locked up, stripped and they urinated in my mouth," Amit Sharma, the victim, was quoted as saying by NDTV.
He added that the railway police personnel had locked him up and abused him on Tuesday night. They began hitting, punching and kicking him and at one point, the police officers also took away Amit's mobile phone and camera. He was using the equipment to shoot videos at the scene of the derailment.
In yet another attack on journalists in UP, Shamli GRP inspector Rakesh Kumar misbehaved with a journalist on a spot to cover a train derailment story. Visibly angry inspector Rakesh Kumar (in T-Shirt) can be seen attacking a local journalist. @Uppolice pic.twitter.com/FZomYgVinj
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) June 11, 2019
Soon after, the journalist was attacked and brutally assaulted by one of the aides (in white shirt) of inspector Rakesh Kumar present at the spot. The journalist was later allegedly dragged and taken to GRP police station in Shamli. pic.twitter.com/cuGNtZjVyt
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) June 11, 2019
A video shows the stringer, in a blue shirt, being beaten and punched by policemen in plain clothes. One police officer in uniform was seen trying to stop the person from taking the video.
After the video went viral, many journalists rushed to the police station in Shamli and asked senior officials for their assistance at the police headquarters. Amit was later released this morning after protests by the journalists outside the police station.
Another video which went viral was of Amit, behind bars, narrating his ordeal to the cameras.
The News 24 journalist, locked up in the GRP station, can be heard narrating the ordeal. He dubbed the attack as a retaliation for a negative story. Accused inspector/SHO Rakesh Kumar sat on chair and kept confronting other journalists protesting against the incident. pic.twitter.com/dVSPrGKog7
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) June 11, 2019
Subhash Chandra Dubey, GRP Superintendent of Police, Moradabad, suspended two police officials, inspector Rakesh Kumar and constable Sanjay Pawar. Dubey has also asked for a detailed report regarding the incident within 24 hours.
No comment has been made on why the Railway Police objected to Amit covering the derailment which took place at 8.50 pm near Dhimanpura in Shamli. There were no casualties in the accident.
