Two police personnel have been suspended and action has been taken against two Home Guards and a driver after a video went viral showing them brutally thrashing a mentally challenged man with sticks in Bihar’s Katihar.

The video, which went viral on Wednesday, shows a member of the Home Guard – a volunteer auxiliary force – and a police official hitting the man as he sits on a road and leans on a police vehicle. A man, who appears to be the driver of the vehicle, then gets off, takes the stick from one of the officials and begins hitting the victim repeatedly on his legs. The other official holds the victim’s hands to assist his assaulter and then asks him to stop. 

Even as the victim pleads for mercy, the driver hits him again before dragging him to the back of the vehicle with the help of the other official.  

The incident took place in the Chhohar gram panchayat area of Katihar’s Sameli. Witnesses said the victim had not done anything wrong and was beaten up by the officials and the driver without any reason. 

After the video was widely circulated, Katihar Superintendent of Police (SP) Vaibhav Sharma said on Thursday that strict action has been taken against Assistant Sub Inspector Kedar Prasad Yadav and Constable Preeti Kumari of the Pothiya police station, Home Guards Sikandar Rai and Kishore Mahato and private driver Bambam Kumar. 

Yadav and Kumari have been suspended with immediate effect while the Home Guard has been asked to keep Rai and Mahato away from duty for a year. A first information report (FIR) has been filed against the driver, Bambam Kumar. 

Mr Sharma said Deputy SP Dharmendra Kumar has also been ordered to investigate the incident and submit a report.