After the lockdown began police in India made headlines for using excessive force on migrant labourers over alleged violations of the shutdown guidelines. Videos depicting several such incidents went viral, drawing the ire of people in the country.
Amid rising outrage against police brutality, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reminded young Indian police officers about the opportunities the uniform provides to serve people rather flexing its power.
Modi said that while technology plays a vital role in detecting crimes, it has also led to the suspension of several police officials.
“When a police official misbehaves, loses balance, and commits excess, it often gets recorded on camera and the video of the incidents goes viral. This results in their suspension. Never lose the respect for your Khaki uniform”, he said.
Modi’s statement comes against the backdrop of the lockdown period in India, which was marred by numerous incidents of police brutality, also highlighted in the media and on the internet.
The viral videos clips of such excesses showed the police abusing, assaulting, and confiscating personal goods over alleged violations of the lockdown that began in March.
The row was further fuelled in June with the custodial death of a father and son who were reportedly subjected to barbaric and extreme torture by police for keeping their shop open beyond the permissible time amid the lockdown in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
The issue resulted in nationwide outrage on social media, with people demanding #justiceforjeyarajandfenix. The incident was also compared to the George Floyd murder case in the United States, where an African American man killed in police custody. The accused officials in the father-son duo’s death were suspended immediately.
A recent report titled “India: Annual Report on Torture 2019”, by a consortium of NGOs, has revealed that 1,731 people in India died in custody in 2019, adding that the majority of them belonged to margianalised communities.
Meanwhile, a senior Delhi police offical has told Sputnik that while they are in the service to the nation, their few mistakes get highlighted.
“People need to understand the sensitivity of the situation. We are doing everything possible for them from taking them to shelters to providing them food and rations”, the police official said on the condition of anonymity.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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