Bhopal: Video catches accidental killing of cop on Holi
Madhya Pradesh police initially said the head constable had shot himself accidentally during Holi celebrations.
Bhopal: A video showing the “accidental” killing of a head constable during Holi revelry at a police station in Madhya Pradesh went viral on Thursday.
It caused a huge embarrassment to the security establishment in the state.
The video purportedly showed assistant sub-inspector Kamal Banzare opening fire accidentally on head constable Rajendra Kumar Yadav when they were celebrating Holi on the premises of Dahet police station in Shivpuri district on March 14.
Policemen celebrate Holi a day after the official holiday because they are on duty on the actual festival day to ensure law and order in their respective areas.
The clip clearly showed the ASI taking away a revolver from the deceased cop after the latter failed to fire in air in two attempts, and then trying to fire the third round which hit the victim on his head. Yadav later succumbed to bullet injury in hospital.
Shivpuri district superintendent of police S.K. Pandey had then said that the deceased had shot himself accidentally during Holi celebration.
The police was, however, silent after the video surfaced on the Internet. “Investigation into the incident is in progress. We cannot comment on the video,” a senior district police officer told this newspaper Thursday. The official did not want to be named.
In another development, 15 policemen in the district headquarters town of Gwalior were Thursday suspended for drinking openly inside the police station while celebrating Holi on March 14.
Ironically, the Gwalior police itself had run a campaign in the city asking people not to consume alcohol while celebrating on streets. Police had also warned of action against those indulging in drunken revelry. It appears citizens heeded the advice, but those in the force could not resist the temptation.