DEOBAND: Police has barged into houses in Muslim neighbourhoods and in the dead of night on Thursday and brutalised the residents including women.
At least ten people are reported to have been badly injured in the incident that took place in Mohalla Pathanpura, a Muslim neighbourhood.
Video clips have been widely shared on social media showing a distressing scene where contingents of men in uniform chasing and mercilessly beating the young men while the women folk is seen requesting them to spare their men.
The trouble started after a drunk police constable misbehaved with residents of the mohalla and an argument followed. Sensible people of the locality intervened and tried to cool off the situation and the constable went away. But he came back with a police force, entered the houses and started beating the residents.
It is said that the in charge of Bhaila Police Chowki, Dhirendra, has been misusing his power and terrorising the residents of his area which is predominantly Muslim.
Most of the injured are poor who earn their livelihood by selling fruits and vegetables in the evening.
After the police action, women folk came out of their homes in protest against the police brutality.
Recounting their ordeal, the women said that police personnel broke into their homes, nabbed boys and misbehaved with them.
Former Member of Parliament Imran Masood took to Facebook to condemn the police action.
Masood, one of the prominent leaders of the Congress in western UP went live on his Facebook and said, “Police excesses in the district, during the lockdown, have become too much. We have supported the lockdown and have commended the administration [for its good work] but some elements in the police force have become psychologically sick. These sick elements are resorting to lathi danda as if they are dealing with criminals.”
“Harassing women like this inside their homes is totally unacceptable,” he proclaimed.