Viral video: Cops beat up suspects by holding them against electric pole

Ahmedabad, Oct 04: A few video clips of cops beating up a few people by holding them against an electric pole has gone viral on Tuesday.

The videos showed the cops bringing out the men outside the police van and hitting them below the waist with batons.

It is reported that they were allegedly punished by the cops for pelting stones on a Garba event.

Seven persons, including a policeman, were injured in an attack on a Garba event by a mob consisting of members from the Muslim community who objected to holding of the programme near a mosque in Gujarat's Kheda district, police told PTI.

However, the crowd supported the Police's act with cheers. Police have arrested 13 persons so far after a First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Matar police station, said Deputy Superintendent of Police V R Bajpai. Police were deployed in large number at the village following the incident, he added.

"The village Sarpanch (head) had organised Garba (a popular Gujarati folk dance) at a temple. A mob from the Muslim community tried to stop it from taking place," the news agency quoted Bajpai as saying. The mob pelted stones and at least seven persons, including a Gram Rakshak Dal (GRD) jawan and a policeman, were injured, he said.

"The FIR says a mob of 150 people, including women, attacked the group performing Garba by pelting stones. As per the FIR, 43 of the accused have been identified by their name," the official said. The arrested accused were booked under sections of the Indian penal Code (IPC) related to attempt to murder, rioting, unlawful assembly and voluntarily causing hurt, among others.

"The Sarpanch had organised the Garba event at the village temple on ashtami (eighth day of Navratri), but a mob tried to stop the function," DySP Bajpai said.

"A group of people led by two men identified as Arif and Zahir entered the Navratri Garba venue and started causing trouble. They even threw stones," said Kheda Superintendent of Police Rajesh Gadhiya. "We have deployed police force in the village to main peace," he said.