SHO assaults constable for sleeping on duty

On Saturday, Madhu Vihar's station house officer (SHO), Om Prakash Pawar, had found constable Dinesh Kumar allegedly sleeping in a chair during duty hours at the Mahrajpur police post near Anand Vihar bus terminal. Karn Pratap Singh reports.

On Saturday, Madhu Vihar's station house officer (SHO), Om Prakash Pawar, had found constable Dinesh Kumar allegedly sleeping in a chair during duty hours at the Mahrajpur police post near Anand Vihar bus terminal. A furious Pawar had then reprimanded the constable.

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When the constable objected to the 'mistreatment', a reportedly enraged Pawar then snatched Kumar's INSAS rifle and hit him in his thigh and back with its butt. "While trying to resist the blows, Kumar also sustained minor bruises in his hands," said a source.

Later, Kumar lodged a complaint with the office of the deputy commissioner of police (east). As punishment, the SHO has now been sent to the district police line. The DCP has also taken disciplinary action against Kumar and another constable. Both have also been sent to the district line.

Talking to Hindustan Times, Kumar, however, claimed that the SHO had assaulted him for no reason and that he was not sleeping in the chair when he made a surprise visit.

"I was on night duty which was about to get over. My colleague asked me to wash my face and sit in the chair for some time, as I had started to feel sleepy. I was sitting in the chair when the SHO arrived in plain clothes and started misbehaving with me. He also assaulted me with my rifle," said Kumar.

He also said that he had first informed the ACP of the subdivision about the matter and later made a call to the police control room. According to Kumar, the district DCP called him and his colleague to his office in the evening where the SHO was already present.

After their statements were recorded, the DCP sent all three of them to the district police line.

Despite repeated attempts to reach him, the SHO remained unavailable for his comment.