Dhaba owner beaten by SHO, video viral

New Delhi: A video is circulating on social media showing station house officer (SHO) of Sarita Vihar in south-east district of Delhi, thrashing a person black and blue. In the video, which went viral on social media, shows SHO Ajab Singh along with two other police personnel mercilessly punching and beating a man with batons. Locals alleged that the official used to take bribe from the shop owners of the area.

The victim has been identified as Mohammad Ibrahim (44), a dhaba owner in Jasola and a resident of Jaitpur. The incident occurred on March 14 at around 11 pm.

 “After closing my restaurant on March 14, I and my worker was cleaning dishes in front of the shop when the SHO arrived with two other police personnel and started beating me. First, he slapped and punched me and then started beating me with sticks,” said Ibrahim.

“Thankfully, the entire incident was captured on the CCTV camera installed near the dhaba otherwise I would have not been able to prove myself,” said Ibrahim.

“This has not happened for the first time. The SHO takes bribe from shopkeepers in the area and who ever refuses to give money, the SHO misbehaves with that person. We had on February 5 given a written complaint against him asking for bribe,” said Kishan Bhigudi, the shop owner who had given it to Ibrahim on rent.

According to the Delhi police, a departmental inquiry has been initiated against the three police personnel including the SHO. However, a senior police official said that police have received several complaints from locals regarding Ibrahim’s dhaba operating till late night.

“Police had time and again told him to shut his shop on time after several complaints were received. On 14 March, police had also nabbed three persons under section 40 of the Delhi Excise Act near his shop,” said the police official.