JOIN USIn an incident reflecting lack of sensitivity, policemen in Uttar Pradesh allegedly hit a body with boots in Jyotiba Phule Nagar district, about 400 km from here, triggering protests from the human rights activists and forcing the government to order a probe into the matter.
According to reports, some cops of Naugawan police station in the district allegedly hit the body of a youth to turn it over to show their superiors the injury marks caused by a bullet. The youth was shot dead by two motor-cycle borne assailants on Saturday.
The matter came to light when some local newspapers published photographs showing the station in-charge of Naugawan hitting the body of the youth with his boot as district police chief Deepika Garg looked on.
The cops hit the body with the boots after the SP reportedly asked them to show the bullet mark. The cops promptly turned over the body by their boots and showed her the injury mark, reports said.
The pictures evoked widespread condemnation from the human rights activists and others. The Indian Constitution also gives the dead some rights. The body should be handled with care and respect and should be disposed off in accordance with the deceased’s religion, the activists said.
Deputy Inspector General of Police S P Singh said the cops had denied the allegation. “The cops have claimed that the pictures are morphed,” he said. He, however, said a probe had been ordered and the cops, if found guilty, would be punished.