Punjab Cop Suspended For Kicking Street Vendor's Vegetable Basket

A Station House Officer in Punjab was suspended on Wednesday after a video showing him kicking a vegetable basket of a street vendor went viral on the social media.

SHO (City) Phagwara, Navdeep Singh was seen kicking the basket of a vegetable vendor in the video, prompting the police authorities to take action against him.

"Absolutely shameful and unacceptable. I have suspended SHO Phagwara. Such misbehaviour will not be tolerated at any cost and those who indulge in it will have to face serious consequences," Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta said in a tweet.

Absolutely shameful and unacceptable. I have suspended SHO Phagwara. Such misbehaviour will not be tolerated at any cost and those who indulge in it will have to face serious consequences. https://t.co/terAynz6ao

— DGP Punjab Police (@DGPPunjabPolice) May 5, 2021

Police said Singh was seen damaging the property of a street side vegetable vendor.

Kapurthala Senior Superintendent of Police, Kanwardeep Kaur, said as a member of a disciplined force, such behaviour is against service rules and is unwarranted.

The behaviour of the officer has brought a bad name to the entire force, she said.

Taking strict action against the officer, he has been immediately placed under suspension. A departmental enquiry has been initiated against him, she said.

The officers of Kapurthala Police have contributed from their salaries for providing compensation to the vegetable vendor.

The Punjab government had ordered the closure of all shops not selling essential commodities till May 15.

Shops dealing in medicines and essential items such as milk, bread, vegetables, fruits, dairy and poultry products, meat and mobile repairing are allowed to operate.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)