The Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday arrested a Bharatiya Janata Party municipal councillor in Meerut for beating up a police sub-inspector and assaulting a woman at his restaurant on the Delhi-Dehradun Highway following an argument, The Indian Express reported. The police officer was also transferred as punishment.
The police registered a case of assault and dacoity against councillor Manish Chaudhary and his employees at the restaurant.
On Friday, sub-inspector Sukhpal Panwar and a lawyer went to the restaurant around 11.30 pm, the police said, adding that both of them were drunk. They reportedly argued over a delay in the time of service. A video of the incident shows the councillor repeatedly slapping the police officer while also verbally abusing him and the woman. She is seen throwing plates at the employees.
“While Panwar was seen [in the video] slapping the waiter, the woman took out his pistol and trained it on the staff,” a police officer told the daily. “Staff immediately contacted the restaurant owner Manish Chaudhary, who informed senior police officers about the incident. He reached the restaurant and argued with the lawyer and the cop. While the cop continued abusing the staff, Manish directed his staff to bolt the restaurant doors from inside and slapped the officer thrice and then pushed him to the ground.”
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Daurala, Pankaj Kumar Singh and Kankarkheda police station in-charge Vinay Kumar Azad soon went to the station and took Panwar and the woman to the station. “Both were sent for medical examination and the report confirmed that they had consumed liquor,” Singh said. “We arrested the councillor and sent him to jail while the police officer has been sent to lines as punishment.”
“S-I Panwar lodged an FIR against the BJP councillor and restaurant staff with the Kankarkheda police under IPC sections 395 [dacoity], 323 [voluntary causing hurt], 342 [wrongful confinement] and 353 [criminal force to deter public servant from duty], among others,” Azad said. “The lawyer too has lodged and FIR under IPC 395 and 354 [assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty].” Chaudhary has also lodged an FIR against Panwar and the woman.
The police added that they were not aware of any other video of the incident, while responding to queries about another video that reportedly showed Panwar assaulting the councillor.
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