Bihar Cop Asks Man His Caste, Then Forces Him To Lick His Spit

A police official assaulted an e-rickshaw driver and made him lick his spit after asking his caste in Bihar, officials said. The incident took place on Tuesday when the driver, Praduman Kumar, dropped his passengers in the Mehus village of the Sheikhpura district.

While he was at an intersection, the police official, identified as Praveen Chandra Diwakar - Mehus police station in-charge - stopped and started abusing him, the driver said. According to him, Diwakar was riding a bike and was dressed in common clothes, so he could not recognise him as a cop initially. After a brief argument, Diwakar called a police vehicle and got the driver arrested.

Before taking Kumar in the police vehicle, Diwaka beat him with a 'lathi' at least 50 to 60 times on the road, leaving the driver severely injured. The cop even tried to accuse the driver of drinking alcohol. But when he did not smell anything, Diwakar slammed the driver and took him to the police station, Kumar narrated.

Upon reaching the police station, Diwakar abused him and beat him even more.

He then asked the driver his caste. To this, Kumar said, "Brahmin".

The cop responded, "I don't even like to see people of the Brahmin caste", spat on the ground, and made the driver lick it.

The driver is currently undergoing treatment at the Sheikhpura Sadar Hospital.

"I work hard for my family every day. I can never forget what happened to me. I was beaten up just after asking my caste, made to lick spit. Is this humanity?" Kumar said.

Kumar informed local MLA Sudarshan Kumar of the incident, who has demanded immediate cognisance and impartial investigation from the administration. Locals have also demanded that a case be registered against the police official and that action be taken.

"We have suspended the police officer after the allegations were found to be true in the investigation," Superintendent of Police, Baliram Chaudhary said.

Diwakar, on the other hand, has called the allegations against him "baseless". According to him, the driver was "teasing girls".

(With inputs from Ranjit Kumar Samrat)