Kolkata is no stranger to violence on its streets. Political battles frequently turn into actual skirmishes and the police are hardly better, happy to charge in brandishing lathis even if it’s against college students. But even those used to the everyday violence can get shocked by the occasional sight of brutality on video.
On Thursday, Asian News International’s Twitter account posted an amateur video showing a Railway Police Force official appearing to thrash a disabled man. The man’s crutches can be seen next to him as the RPF official pulls on his hair, while he is flailing about. A crowd watches on with the video showing a women trying to step in.
While all the details have yet to emerge from the matter, there is little context that can emerge which would justify what appears to be clear violence from a uniformed man against a person with a cast and crutches.
IBN Live reported eyewitnesses as having said that the RPF official had asked the man, a beggar, to move out of Howrah station in Kolkata, but the man either refused or couldn’t. As a result, the RPF official began thrashing the man.
Eyewitnesses apparently also told IBN that the crowd managed to save the man from further violence, and then handed him over to station staff, who took him to the hospital. The report claims that he is no longer there, although it adds that the man was a Delhi resident who was visiting Kolkata.
Just today news emerged that a 25-year-old woman had died in Varanasi after constables from the RPF had thrown her out of a moving train. In that case too RPF personnel were accused of resorting to violence as well as allegedly demanding money from the woman who was traveling with her 18-month-old daughter as well as a brother and an uncle.
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On Thursday, Asian News International’s Twitter account posted an amateur video showing a Railway Police Force official appearing to thrash a disabled man. The man’s crutches can be seen next to him as the RPF official pulls on his hair, while he is flailing about. A crowd watches on with the video showing a women trying to step in.
While all the details have yet to emerge from the matter, there is little context that can emerge which would justify what appears to be clear violence from a uniformed man against a person with a cast and crutches.
IBN Live reported eyewitnesses as having said that the RPF official had asked the man, a beggar, to move out of Howrah station in Kolkata, but the man either refused or couldn’t. As a result, the RPF official began thrashing the man.
Eyewitnesses apparently also told IBN that the crowd managed to save the man from further violence, and then handed him over to station staff, who took him to the hospital. The report claims that he is no longer there, although it adds that the man was a Delhi resident who was visiting Kolkata.
Hope senior officials of RPF will take action against the official who thrashed the disabled man: Ranjit Sur(VP,APDR) pic.twitter.com/iTK5k99gSc
— ANI (@ANI_news) January 29, 2015Just today news emerged that a 25-year-old woman had died in Varanasi after constables from the RPF had thrown her out of a moving train. In that case too RPF personnel were accused of resorting to violence as well as allegedly demanding money from the woman who was traveling with her 18-month-old daughter as well as a brother and an uncle.