SHO, five constables taken off field duty for assaulting lawyer in Gwalior police station

Gwalior, Dec 29 (PTI) A station house officer (SHO) and five constables were line attached (removed from field duty) for allegedly assaulting a lawyer in the premises of a police station in Gwalior when a dispute between two men turned ugly and led to an altercation, an official said on Monday.

The dispute between the two men arose from buying chicken and fish from a neighbourhood shop and ended in disciplinary action against the SHO (an Inspector-level officer) and five constables. The incident took place on Sunday night at the Gola Ka Mandir police station and was captured on CCTV cameras installed inside the premises, police said.

Two customers had an argument at a shop in the Gola Ka Mandir area of the Madhya Pradesh city over the purchase of chicken and fish, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Jayraj Kuber told reporters.

Both men later reached the police station to lodge cross-complaints, but the situation refused to cool down, he said.

Kuber said advocate Prabhat Hinariya arrived at the police station to support his client Satyam Singh, one of the customers involved in argument. However, a fresh scuffle broke out between the two sides in the station premises, drawing in some policemen.

After lawyer Hinariya was assaulted allegedly by policemen during the melee, a group of advocates reached the police station in his support, leading to a ruckus inside the premises, the ASP maintained.

"The station house officer and five constables were line-attached and an inquiry was underway. The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras and the footage was being examined (as part of probe)," Kuber said.

"Line attach" is a disciplinary action where cops facing complaints are removed from regular duty and sent to the police headquarters or a specific unit (police line). PTI COR LAL RSY