Traffic cop suspended after video of him kicking a drunk man goes viral
TIRUPATI: A video clip of a man being allegedly thrashed by a traffic police head constable here went viral on social media on Sunday. While the police initially tried to justify the cop’s action, he was later put under suspension, pending an inquiry.
The incident took place near Annamayya circle on AIR by-pass road on Saturday. When the visuals hit the internet, the cop's action sparked an outrage online.
The video showed a man, likely in an inebriated condition, being hit by the traffic constable on the roadside. The short clip showed the policeman kicking the man repeatedly and then going away. The constable was later identified as Jagdish Kishore.
As the video spread on WhatsApp and Instagram, many were provoked at the traffic cop’s actions. Netizens wrote that even if a drunk man made some mistake, a traffic cop has no right to hit him. “Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity,” one viewer commented.
Police officials claimed the man in the video was in an inebriated condition and created a ruckus on the road by having scuffles with the passers-by near the Annamayya circle in the evening hour.
“The video clip that went viral on the internet lasted only 30 seconds. This short video clip, in which a police head constable was seen kicking a man, has sent an incorrect message to the public. However, if you see the full video, it shows what ruckus the drunk man created there by having scuffles with passers-by and attacking the traffic cop”, a senior cop claimed.
The official further maintained that the constable didn’t deliberately thrash the man. “He (head constable) did it only when the drunk man tried to attack the public and the cop. It was in self-defence”, the official said and added that a probe has been ordered to verify facts.
However, later in the day, Tirupati district SP Parameswara Reddy summoned the head constable and placed him under suspension, pending an Inquiry. The SP warned that strict action would be taken against those who misuse the police uniform and indulge in inhumane acts.
