In yet another hideous incident, a video of a cop in Punjab has gone viral on social media. In the viral video, the cop is seen misbehaving with a vegetable vendor. Identified as SHO Navdeep Singh, was caught on camera kicking the vegetable basket. The incident took place in Phagwara, Punjab.
The incident occurred after the Punjab government announces semi-lockdown in the state. The cop was seen assaulting vendors amid lockdown.
Soon after the video went viral on social media, people started criticizing the Punjab police. Lashing out at the cop, netizens accused police of harassing only poor people. One of the users said that it’s better for the government to impose a complete lockdown instead of harassing the poor.
One of the users said that preventing Covid spread by stricter restrictions is justified, but disrupting poor lives by harassing them is not justified in any way.
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As inhumane as the incident, it’s not the first time such a thing has happened. Since the first time the nation went under lockdown, police are assaulting common people in wake of the Pandemic. Several unfortunate incidents have occurred in which people have lost their lives to police brutality.
The Covid19 crisis raises the big question about the humiliation and harassment of the poor by the powerful. As the country suffers from Coronavirus, police think the crisis can be defeated with a bit of violence.
During coronavirus, innumerable pictures and videos have gone viral in which police brutality is witnessed. The police need to understand the reason for lockdown is coronavirus infection; their actions might harm an individual, group or much wider community.
Meanwhile, despite repeated attempts SHO Navdeep Singh could not be contacted. However, taking strict action against the SHO for his rude behavior with the vendors, DGP Punjab, Dinkar Gupta, passed the orders to suspend the SHO. In a tweet he wrote, “Absolutely shameful and unacceptable. I have suspended SHO Phagwara. Such misbehaviour will not be tolerated at any cost and those who indulge in it will have to face serious consequences”.