In a fresh twist in the viral "return gift" video controversy in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, police have said that they are conducting an enquiry to verify the authenticity of the video clip and will take action if needed. Superintendent of Police, City, Rajesh Kumar had till yesterday denied any knowledge of the video. "We don't know where this is from. If we receive any complaints, we will see," he had said.
"SP city is conducting an enquiry to verify the authenticity of the video and to take action (if need be)," Senior Superintendent of Police Akash Tomar told NDTV today.
Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Shalabh Mani Tripathi had shared the video on Twitter which shows cops mercilessly thrashing a group of men with the caption "return gift for rioters". Mr Kumar had said there was no investigation in the case as nobody had filed any complaints.
In the video, around nine men beg and try to block blows raining incessantly on them from two policemen armed with sticks in what appears to be a police station, but in vain.
The video went viral two days after the Uttar Pradesh police cracked down on protesters and detained several of them for disturbing peace and harmony as clashes were reported at several places where people had gathered to protest now suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's objectionable and communal remarks against Prophet Muhammad and Islam.
Mr Kumar's statement comes a day after an NDTV investigation revealed the men in the video were indeed from Saharanpur and were brutally assaulted. Family members of at least five of the men being thrashed in the video said it is indeed from Saharanpur and the men have sustained severe injuries.
With eight police custodial deaths and 443 judicial custodial deaths in 2020-21, Uttar Pradesh accounts for the highest number of custodial deaths in the country.
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