The Madhya Pradesh government on Thursday suspended six Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel including a station in-charge in connection with the beating of a woman and her grandson in Katni district.
Opposition Congress had shared a video of the incident a day before, claiming that the victims belong to the Dalit community.
'An old video of beating of GRP Katni police station cops is getting viral on social media. After I took cognizance of it, I have asked DIG Rail to go to the spot for probing the incident. As per the preliminary probe, I have ordered suspension with immediate effect of then GRP police station in-charge, a head constable and four constables,' Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said in a post on X.
Earlier in the day, five police personnel were taken off field duty in connection with the incident which, as per a senior GRP official, took place in October last year.
"There was a person named Deepak Vanshkar against whom 19 cases were registered, and who was absconding. He was also externed from the district. His family members had been called to the police station last October for questioning only in this regard," Superintendent of Police (GRP) Simala Prasad told PTI.
"The video of the questioning went viral. Cases had also been registered against the woman and minor in Katni. All the police personnel visible in the video have been line-attached (taken off field duty)," SP Prasad added.
Probe was underway as to why the woman and her grandson were treated in this way and how the official footage of the incident became public, SP Prasad further said.
Deputy Inspector General, railway, Monica Shukla arrived in Katni on Thursday to conduct the probe, sources said.
Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari and media department chairman and former minister Mukesh Nayak too would be visiting Katni to meet the victims, a party leader said.
Security in the town was beefed up in view of Congress leaders' visit, said a police official.
The video shared by the state Congress on X showed a woman in civil dress -- in-charge of the police station -- beating up a woman and a boy in a room.
Later, some other personnel in uniform were seen joining her in thrashing the duo.
'Chief Minister Mohan Yadavji, will you tell us what is happening in Madhya Pradesh? Under the pretext of maintaining law and order, your police department is indulging in hooliganism and is hell-bent on taking the lives of people,' the opposition party said in the post on X.
'The cruelty with which the Katni Government Railway Police (GRP) station in-charge beat up the 15-year-old boy and his grandmother from a Dalit family is agonising. From where did they get so much courage to do so? Is it due to your negligence? Have you given them permission to indulge in such acts?' the Congress said, terming the incident as 'shameful'.
