Katni: A video has emerged showing a 15-year-old boy and his grandmother being brutally beaten by officers inside the Katni Government Railway Police (GRP) station. The incident, which reportedly occurred last year, involved the station in-charge, Aruna Vahane, and other officers. The duo was allegedly assaulted due to suspicion of theft.
In the footage, the boy, identified as Deepraj Vanshkar, and his grandmother, Kusum Vanshkar, are seen being beaten with belts by the police. Deepraj described the incident to reporters, stating, "They held me down, restraining my arms, legs, and even my head. One officer placed his foot on my neck. They beat me up with belts, and my grandmother was also subjected to the same treatment."
Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari shared the video on X (formerly Twitter), accusing the police of targeting a Dalit family. He criticised the ruling BJP, stating that Dalit oppression has become a tool for political malice.
Katni Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhijit Kumar Ranjan confirmed the incident but noted that the case falls under GRP jurisdiction. He mentioned that authorities are in a "wait and watch" mode regarding further action, as they are verifying the authenticity of the video.
SP Railway Jabalpur later confirmed that the video dates back to October 2023, and stated that the accused had a reward of Rs 10,000 on his head. Some reports suggest that the theft charges are actually against the boy's father.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to visit Katni on Thursday to meet the family of the victims. Jitu Patwari, who is also expected to join the visit, criticised the BJP-led government in Madhya Pradesh for its alleged failure to protect Dalits and Adivasis.
मध्यप्रदेश के कटनी में दलित परिवार के 15 साल के बच्चे और उसकी मां के साथ थाना प्रभारी और पुलिस स्टॉफ की क्रूरता मानवता को झकझोर कर रख देने वाली है। यह घटना ना सिर्फ मप्र पुलिस की क्रूरता को दर्शाती है, बल्कि समाज में व्याप्त दलितों के प्रति हिंसा की मानसिकता को भी उजागर करती हैं। pic.twitter.com/30esDE2ifH
— Hansraj Meena (@HansrajMeena) August 28, 2024
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi (PTI): Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal on Thursday accepted the party decision to select V D Satheesan as the chief minister of Kerala and congratulated him.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Venugopal, who was one of the three persons being considered for the post, said he will provide all support to the CM and the UDF government in Kerala.
The decision comes more than 10 days after the results of the April Assembly polls in Kerala were declared.
The Congress-led UDF secured a more than two-thirds majority in the Kerala Assembly elections, but the party has been unable to decide its chief ministerial face due to lobbying by different camps and protests by workers at the ground level.
Besides, Satheesan and Venugopal, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala was also in the race for the CM post.
