UP police order probe into video of man with child being thrashed by police officer

Kanpur: A viral video depicting a man with a child in his arms being hit by a police officer in front of the Kanpur Dehat Hospital in Uttar Pradesh has elicited widespread outrage, with state police claiming the man and his accomplices had shut down the hospital OPD ward for no reason.

The man, along with 100 others, obstructed the OPD ward and shut down the hospital which caused much struggle for the patients, the UP Police offered by way of explanation. In return, the police had to resort to a mild lathi charge to restore order.

Police said the man in the video has been identified as the brother of a Class IV government employee who, along with others, had allegedly locked up policemen and misbehaved with them said Kanpur Dehat Superintendent of Police (SP) Keshav Kumar Choudhary.

The video was shared by Priyanka Gandhi on the occasion of World Human Rights Day along with the caption: "Uttar Pradesh under Yogi Adityanath: #1 in Human Rights Violations."

The police said they were trying to identify the officer purportedly seen hitting the man. "An ASP-level officer will probe the incident," the SP said. Asked about the child, he added, "He [the police officer] was only seen hitting the man under the waist."