Vadodara cops assault shopkeeper; suspended within 12 hours of inquiry [details]

While many state police departments are vowing for people-friendly police, a few take corrective measures and impose self-discipline at grassroots level. Vadodara Police Department on Monday set an example of how it refuses to tolerate any misconduct by its officers in any rank. The Vadodara City Police suspended two constables from Manjalpur police station for assaulting a shopkeeper.

The incident of two police officers beating up a paan shop owner for keeping his store open during night curfew hours went viral on social media over the weekend. The CCTV footage shows the cops, dressed in civil clothes, drag the shop owner out of the shop and start punching him. The incident took place at 10:46 p.m. on Saturday night, when the COVID curfew was in effect.

The officers were believed to be on patrol duty ahead of Monday's Rath Yatra when they stopped to reprimand the shop owner at Vadsar road for not downing the shutters. The video of the incident showed the officers dragging the shop owner out of his shop and punching and pushing him even as the man tries to close the shutter of his shop and pleads the cops with folded hands.

At one point, one of the officers can be seen dragging the shop owner out of his shop even after he pulled the shutter down. Towards the end of the video, the man can be seen with a torn T-shirt and the police released the picture of the assaulted man with a swollen face.

Swift inquiry and suspension of cops

As the video of the incident went viral on social media, an inquiry was launched by Assistant Commissioner of Police, F Division SB Kumpawat. Soon after, the two constables, Thakor Sanabhai and Harish Chauhan, were suspended early on Monday.

"A video of Manjalpur police officials went viral on social media. We have suspended the two personnel following an inquiry by ACP Kumpawat. Such behaviour by police personnel cannot be tolerated," DCP Vaghela said.

Reacting to the actions of the constables, Commissioner of Police, Vadodara City, Shamsher Singh, IPS, said "misconduct and such misbehaviour with citizens can never be tolerated."