'Viral video clip aims to tarnish image of police'

Mumbai: While a video clip of constables thrashing a young couple in a Mumbai police station has gone viral, authorities here claim that the officials were trying to prevent the man from beating the woman.
A police spokesman on Wednesday denied that the couple, who were working for a call centre, had been thrashed by cops at the Andheri police station. A video clip of the incident has gone viral on social media.
According to the police, the inebriated couple was seen fighting on a road in Andheri on the night of November 1. They were brought to the police station, where policemen and women tried to sort out their differences.
Suddenly, the man started beating the woman, which led to the police intervening and trying to separate them. And this was captured on video by an outsider, whose aim was to tarnish the image of the police, said the spokesman. The police later summoned the parents of the two youngsters to settle their disputes. However, an inquiry has been initiated by the police to probe the alleged beating.
The Mumbai Police has faced a lot of flak in recent weeks after reports about its officials thrashing innocent persons surfaced. In some instances, clippings of the beatings also made its way on social media.
Last month, two youngsters were allegedly assaulted in the Bandra police station and some officials told the boys (both Muslims) to go Pakistan. Police commissioner Ahmed Javed ordered a probe into the incident.
However, some eyewitnesses who were present denied that the police had told the youths to go to Pakistan. It also emerged that one of the youngsters hit a police officer, resulting in the scuffle.
About two months ago, a girl had been thrashed outside the Lalbaug Ganesh mandal in central Mumbai by some women constables. Two of the constables were suspended after the video of the incident went viral.
nithin@khaleejtimes.com