Hardoi, Jul 24 (IANS): In a shocking incident, a police constable brutally assaulted a man with his shoe in Uttar Pradesh's Hardoi district, police said.

The entire incident was caught on camera. In the 4.38-minute-long video, the police officer, identified as Dinesh Atri, can be seen hitting the man with his shoe more than 61 times.

The man was allegedly under the influence of alcohol.

After the video went viral, Dinesh Atri was suspended and a departmental probe has been ordered against him.

According to reports, on Saturday, Atri, who was dressed in casual clothes, had gone to a nearby market to purchase something. There, he saw a man misbehaving with people, including women, and demanding free soft drink bottles from local shopkeepers.

The brawl started when Atri tried to stop the man from misbehaving with others. But the man also misbehaved with the cop, following which the policeman thrashed him with his shoe.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) West, Durgesh Kumar Singh, said, "We have taken cognisance of the viral video. The video is from the Beja crossing area under the jurisdiction of Shahbad police station."

"The constable, identified as Dinesh Atri, was visiting a market in civilian clothes. There he saw a man in a drunk state, who was misbehaving and abusing people. The drunk man also misbehaved with the cop when he tried to interject, which led to a fight. The cop has been suspended with immediate effect," the ASP added.