Harrowing footage showed railway police officers brutally beating a woman and her 15-year-old grandson at the station on charges of theft.
The victim in the Katni assault case on Thursday described the brutal torture she suffered at the hands of railway police officers, which she said went on till 4am the next day. In a harrowing account, Kusum Vanshkar – whose son is facing theft charges – said she was subjected to severe physical abuse, including being kicked on the chest when she asked for water.
“The police first came to my house asking about my son. I told them he was not there. They came back and summoned me to the police station. How was I supposed to know they were going to attack me? If I had known, I would have run away,” she told reporters.
She continued: “I told them I didn’t know where my son was and said they could look for him. They responded by locking the doors and windows and beating us mercilessly. We begged for water, but instead they kicked me in the chest. They continued to assault us throughout the night. By 4am, when they finally let me go, my feet were so swollen I could barely walk. The police officers who were there took our fingerprints.”
The victim further described the emotional impact this had on her grandson: “When he saw me, he started crying and I couldn’t help crying too. Finally, someone from the police said: ‘Let them go.'”
Five agents suspended
A high-level inquiry has been launched into the incident, and the investigation has been assigned to Bhopal Railway’s DSP Kulhadi. This move comes in response to the public outcry and the video, which, despite being recorded in October 2023, has only recently come to light.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav’s administration said such brutality cannot be justified in a civilised society.
Madhya Pradesh BJP spokesperson Narendra Saluja wrote on X: “Dr Mohan Yadav government is in Madhya Pradesh. We had said that action would definitely be taken against the culprits in Katni viral video case, even if the video is from October 2023, it has come to light right now, the victim, a youth, has a criminal history… In a civilised society, this kind of brutal beating of someone cannot be justified at all… On the instructions of the Chief Minister, DIG Railway, Police Headquarters went to Katni and started an inquiry into the misconduct case at Katni GRP police station. In the inquiry, Inspector Aruna Vahne and 5 employees have been suspended after being found prima facie guilty. The inquiry process is underway.”
The footage shows police torturing Kusum and her grandson Deepraj Vanshkar, after they were brought to the police station on suspicion of theft. Describing the assault, Deepraj told reporters: “They held me down, they held my arms and legs and even my head. One of them put his foot on my neck. They beat me with their belts. They also beat my father with belts.”
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