Agra, May 28 (IANS): Two policemen were suspended in Agra after they were caught on CCTV camera for chasing and assaulting a local trader with baton outside his house.
The trader was moving without a helmet and mask on his two-wheeler.
The incident took place in a residential area in Kamla Nagar under New Agra police limits on Wednesday.
The injured trader was identified as Rakesh Gupta (55), while the suspended cops were identified as constable Rakesh Sharma and Dinesh of Cheetah mobile force, who were given the duty to keep a tab on the movement of people during the lockdown.
In the video, the two constables on their police motor-bike were seen chasing Rakesh Gupta to his house and then raining blows on him with their baton.
SSP Agra, Babloo Kumar, said, "This kind of behaviour is not acceptable. Both cops have been suspended."
Dr Sanjay Gupta, the younger cousin of victim said, "Rakesh Gupta had gone to a nearby grocery shop to buy bread for breakfast. He had travelled merely 50 meters on his two-wheeler, when he saw the cops at check-point. He made a U-turn after seeing policemen, this provoked the cops and they chased him down to home."
The doctor, who is a neurologist, said, "As soon Rakesh Gupta reached at house door, the cops behind him alighted from the motor-bike and started raining lathis on him without even questioning him for the violation."
Station house officer Umesh Chandra Tripathi of New Agra said, "Rakesh Gupta's house is not 50 meters but much farther away from where policemen were on duty. After seeing policemen, he attempted to escape like a thief. When constable Rakesh Sharma tried to stop his vehicle from behind and grabbed rear metal handle of the two-wheeler, he pulled him along for at least 25 meters along his two-wheeler."
The SHO further said, "There was also exchange of offensive slur between Rakesh Gupta and cops while he was being chased. Rakesh acted like a thief and made the two cops chase him in the streets of residential area."
SP City Agra, Rohan Botre has been asked to investigate the incident and submit his report to the SSP.
Meanwhile, the local trader association has demanded medical examination of Rakesh Gupta and FIR against the two constables.