Mumbai MP claims cop manhandled woman protester, shares video, police counters
Referring to the backlash over the video, the Mumbai Police rejected the allegations in a post on X, saying an 'extremely irresponsible and incorrect' interpretation was being made of their employee's behaviour.
The Mumbai Police on Friday dismissed claims that a plainclothes policeman seen in a viral video was manhandling a woman during a protest, asserting that he was instead attempting to restrain a male protester when she inadvertently came in between.
After Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad shared the clip on X, the police said the scene was being misinterpreted. As the video sparked a political row, the Mumbai Police rejected the allegations in a post on X, saying an "irresponsible" interpretation was being made of their employee's behaviour.
The cop was holding a male protester and looking in another direction, when a "female protester inadvertently came in between," said the police while reacting to Gaikwad's post.
The lawmaker had written, "What is this behaviour Mumbai Police? Why is a male cop mandhandling a young female protestor like this? Why isn't he letting his female colleagues handle this? What action will be taken against him? This is unacceptable."
She also tagged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in her post.
Responding to the claim, the Mumabai Police wrote, "Ma'am, please note, this is being irresponsibly misinterpreted – the official, while managing law & order there, was trying to hold on to a male protestor when a lady unknowingly stepped in between, while he was looking away."
The police force added, "Being a public figure, you are expected to verify facts before attributing any meaning based on a video. Senior officers have verified all the facts and minutely assessed the video to derive facts."
NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar also demanded action against the male police official amid the backlash over the clip. No case has been registered in connection with the allegations so far.
Students and activists staged a protest and demanded Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation at the Shivaji Park ground in Dadar on Thursday before being chased away by police, with some young people falling.
The Mumbai Police on Friday dismissed claims that a plainclothes policeman seen in a viral video was manhandling a woman during a protest, asserting that he was instead attempting to restrain a male protester when she inadvertently came in between.
After Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad shared the clip on X, the police said the scene was being misinterpreted. As the video sparked a political row, the Mumbai Police rejected the allegations in a post on X, saying an "irresponsible" interpretation was being made of their employee's behaviour.
The cop was holding a male protester and looking in another direction, when a "female protester inadvertently came in between," said the police while reacting to Gaikwad's post.
The lawmaker had written, "What is this behaviour Mumbai Police? Why is a male cop mandhandling a young female protestor like this? Why isn't he letting his female colleagues handle this? What action will be taken against him? This is unacceptable."
She also tagged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in her post.
Responding to the claim, the Mumabai Police wrote, "Ma'am, please note, this is being irresponsibly misinterpreted – the official, while managing law & order there, was trying to hold on to a male protestor when a lady unknowingly stepped in between, while he was looking away."
The police force added, "Being a public figure, you are expected to verify facts before attributing any meaning based on a video. Senior officers have verified all the facts and minutely assessed the video to derive facts."
NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar also demanded action against the male police official amid the backlash over the clip. No case has been registered in connection with the allegations so far.
Students and activists staged a protest and demanded Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation at the Shivaji Park ground in Dadar on Thursday before being chased away by police, with some young people falling.
The Mumbai Police on Friday dismissed claims that a plainclothes policeman seen in a viral video was manhandling a woman during a protest, asserting that he was instead attempting to restrain a male protester when she inadvertently came in between.
After Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad shared the clip on X, the police said the scene was being misinterpreted. As the video sparked a political row, the Mumbai Police rejected the allegations in a post on X, saying an "irresponsible" interpretation was being made of their employee's behaviour.
The cop was holding a male protester and looking in another direction, when a "female protester inadvertently came in between," said the police while reacting to Gaikwad's post.
The lawmaker had written, "What is this behaviour Mumbai Police? Why is a male cop mandhandling a young female protestor like this? Why isn't he letting his female colleagues handle this? What action will be taken against him? This is unacceptable."
She also tagged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in her post.
Responding to the claim, the Mumabai Police wrote, "Ma'am, please note, this is being irresponsibly misinterpreted – the official, while managing law & order there, was trying to hold on to a male protestor when a lady unknowingly stepped in between, while he was looking away."
The police force added, "Being a public figure, you are expected to verify facts before attributing any meaning based on a video. Senior officers have verified all the facts and minutely assessed the video to derive facts."
NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar also demanded action against the male police official amid the backlash over the clip. No case has been registered in connection with the allegations so far.
Students and activists staged a protest and demanded Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation at the Shivaji Park ground in Dadar on Thursday before being chased away by police, with some young people falling.
