We are often told that nobody is above the law. But what would you do when the protectors of law make themselves out to be the law itself? In a viral video that shows the audacity and unprofessionalism of Uttar Pradesh police, a Hindu woman was assaulted and abused for hanging out with a Muslim man.

What happened?

On September 23, the Hindu woman and the Muslim man, both in their 20s went inside the man’s rented apartment in Meerut, UP. Both of them are nursing students and the man did not stay in the college hostel.

Locals and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) members barged into the man’s apartment and claimed that they were found in an ‘objectional position’ and started creating a ruckus. Meanwhile, someone called the police. The VHP members wanted to beat up the duo as they were examples of “Love Jihad”, reported India Today.

The police came to protect the duo from the harassment but ended up harassing them.

Protector-turned-intimidator

In the 29-second video shot by a cop sitting on the front seat, the woman with her face covered can be seen in the back seat in the middle of a male and a female cop. The cop sitting in the front can be heard addressing Muslims in a derogatory manner and telling the woman “Sharam Nahi aati (Don’t you feel ashamed)”.

While he says this, the woman constable slaps her on the head. Then the cop can be heard saying that even when there are so many Hindu men, she had to choose the Muslim man. All this while, the woman cop keeps on landing one slap after the other on her head. The harassment did not stop there as after they reached the police station, VHP activists surrounded them and abused them again. None of the VHP activists, who barged into another person’s house, has been arrested.  

After the video of the incident went viral on social media, UP police suspended three constables and relieved one home guard from duty.

Ranvijay Singh, SP City, Meerut said that the incident took place in the Medical college police station. “The boy doesn’t live in the college hostel and he and the girl went to his apartment in Jagriti Vihar. A crowd gathered and created a ruckus there. Police arrived at the spot and took them to the station for their protection. Their parents said that they did not want to file an FIR in the matter and both went back to their respective homes,” Singh said, reported The Indian Express.  

According to Singh, three constables — Salek Chand, Neetu Singh and Priyanka — have been suspended. A home guard has been relieved of his duty and a recommendation for his suspension has been sent to Lucknow.

The Logical Indian take

When will Indians realise that what happens inside the locked doors of somebody’s house is their personal business? The VHP activists behaved like goons once again and barged inside the house in their quest against love-jihad. They even tried to persuade the girl’s father into lodging a case against the boy. Thankfully, her father denied. The level of public shaming, invasion of privacy and coarseness displayed is beyond horrific.

The police taking part in the agenda of these lawless activists is even worse. The police were called to save the duo from the harassment of the VHP activists and in turn, they beat up the woman for having a Muslim friend. Who are they to decide who the girl can hang out with? Who are they to beat up a woman and dictate who she can be friends with? This is a shameless display of religious bias towards a community in which even the Police has to be held accountable. 

Strict action should be taken against these police officers. They should know that they are not above the law and cannot dictate or enforce their will and bias on anyone.

Also Read: Goons Barge Into Private Space & Beat A Couple; Police Charge Couple On Grounds Of Public Obscenity