Man with toddler in arms gets brutally thrashed by Kanpur cop; gets suspended [viral clip]

Police brutality is frowned upon, and strict measures have been put in place to curb the practice while promoting people-friendly policing. But a few bad apples spoil the bunch. An inspector from Kanpur has brought shame to the police force with his insensitive actions towards a civilian. The video of the incident has gone viral on social media, drawing criticism and stern action.

In the video, inspector Vinod Kumar Mishra from Kanpur, UP, can be seen brutally thrashing a man, who is holding a child in his arms. The inspector aggressively wielded lathi at the man, who constantly kept appealing to the cop that the child would get hurt, or worse die. The police inspector didn't seem to care and continuously kept hitting the man. Throughout the video, the child can be heard crying inconsolably.

In another video, cops accompanying the PI can be seen manhandling the child. The cop tried to snatch the child away while trying to apprehend the man, but after resistance, the constable let go.

Towards the end of the video, the inspector addresses a bloodied man inside the police jeep and threateningly said: "I will make you a hero."

Netizens furious; police reacts

The actions of the accused SHO (Akbarpur) Mishra were met with heavy criticism. Netizens reacted strongly and demanded strong action. Even BJP MP Varun Gandhi flagged the issue and said that a "strong law and order system should evoke fear of law, not of the police."

Many politicians and ministers shared the video, which has been viewed hundreds and thousands of times, and demanded a thorough probe.

Responding to the Kanpur Dehat incident, UP Police issued a statement and said that they are investigating.

A video of police lathi charging a man holding a child has come to light. Such conduct on the part of Police Personnel despite repeated instructions to reset the dignity of every citizen is not acceptable. Prima-Facie report from district police reveals that some protestors had locked the OPD of the District Hospital and disrupted its services.

The Police was attacked when they went to restore order on the request of the Chief Medical Superintendent following which use of mild force was done which is no justification for the insensitivity by the policeman.

ADG Zone Kanpur has been directed to get the matter enquired and take appropriate action against the guilty policeman."

ADG of Kanpur Zone suspended Mishra until further probe.

What triggered lathi-charge?

The Group D staff members of the district hospital of Kanpur Dehat were on a dharna, due to which the OPD operations were disrupted for an hour. The health department's CMS Vandana Singh called the District Magistrate and the police against the protestors. When the police arrived, they tried to disperse the protest, which led to lathi charge. Some pedestrians were also hit during the clash, reports say.