MEERUT: As the beating up of young couples by police personnel in the Gandhi Park here erupted into a major controversy on Wednesday triggering street protests by students, the Uttar Pradesh Government suspended four police officials, including an Additional Superintendent, and ordered a high-level probe into the incidents.

The police action on Tuesday, shown on television channels, also figured in Parliament and the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Women, taking a serious view of the matter, sought a report from the State Government on the issue.

Action assured

Faced with public outcry, the State Government put under suspension, ASP Umesh Srivastava and Circle Officer Mukul Dwivedi. Two policewomen, Inspector Madhu Malati and Sub-Inspector Mamata Gautam, who were caught on camera slapping the girls, were suspended on Tuesday itself.

Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary (Home) Alok Sinha told reporters in Lucknow that a high-level inquiry had been ordered into the incidents and stern action would be taken against the erring police personnel. Legal opinion was being sought for registration of a case against Ms. Mamata, he added.

Effigies burnt

Scores of students marched through the streets of Meerut shouting slogans against the police, burnt the effigies of the women police personnel and demanded action against them.

Amit Sharma and a girl (Amit's friend), who were beaten up by police in the park, are missing since Tuesday, Amit's mother Lata Sharma said. ``Both of them are yet to come home. We are eagerly waiting for them,'' Ms. Lata Sharma said. Mr. Sinha said the complaint about their disappearance would be probed.

Under `Operation Majnu,' police had roughed up a number of couples sitting in the park in the name of checking ``indecency'' and ``eve-teasing'' at public places.

Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police Rajiv Ranjan Verma said: ``As far as the police are concerned, there was no direction to misbehave with the people. It is mainly some erring police persons, who have violated the law."

A city lawyer, Anil Bakshi, filed a case in a local court against the police under section 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 147 (rioting) and 153 (provocation for causing riot) of IPC.

Affront on women

Former Chief Justice A.S. Anand said: ``The manner in which the police have acted.... is definitely going to show that they have not cared for dignity of females."

Terming it ``an affront on their [women's] supreme dignity," he wondered how the State could permit such conduct by the police. — PTI

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail