Viral Video Shows Cops Mercilessly Beating Man as He Begs for Mercy in UP's Etawah, SP Fumes

Lucknow: A viral video of cops in Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah district mercilessly beating a man while he lays on the ground and begs for mercy has become the latest bone of contention between the government and the opposition Samajwadi Party, which slammed the “inhuman” police force.

The video, reportedly shot on May 2 at Biba Mau village, was shared by the SP from its official Twitter handle, with the party demanding strict action against the SO along with the constable for assaulting a “mentally-challenged” man. Etawah was once considered the stronghold of the party.

“The inhuman face of the police is exposed in the Biba Mau village of Etawah. The constable who had backing from SO has beaten an innocent mentally challenged man. The suspension of the constable after the video went viral is not enough, the SO should also be suspended after investigation in the case,” tweeted SP.

The video, which is around three minutes in duration, shows a constable beating a man lying on the ground with a stick. The cop can be seen pinning the man to the ground with one foot on his chest. While many bystanders see the cop beating the man, no one intervenes. Towards the end of the video, another cop joins in and beats the man again. A local can also be seen standing next to the cops and handing them a stick. The viral video was shot from a terrace of a house in the neighbourhood.

According to the police, the man in the video was identified as Sunil Yadav alias Pandit, who has a criminal background. Yadav was allegedly abusing locals and even threatened to ‘chop them into pieces’, police said. When cops arrived to arrest Yadav, he attacked them after which the personnel started beating him. The police also claim that a cop suffered injuries on his hand due to Yadav’s attack.

As per a report submitted to SSP Etawah by senior police officers, Yadav has been accused of attacking his own nephew and the priest of a local temple. The report also mentions that Yadav was under psychiatric treatment in Agra around two years ago. It also specifies that the cop, who has since been suspended, should have not used ‘excessive force’ as seen in the video.