Journalist Covering Train Derailment Thrashed by Cops in UP, Claims He Was Stripped and Urinated On

Lucknow: A day after the apex court pulled up Uttar Pradesh government over the arrest of journalist Prashant Kanojia, a local journalist in Shamli was assaulted by Government Railways Police (GRP) personnel.

The incident took place when the journalist, identified as Amit Sharma, was covering the derailment of a goods train near Dhimanpura.

"They were in plain clothes. One hit my camera and it fell down. When I picked it up they hit and abused me. I was locked up, stripped and they urinated in my mouth," he was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.

In a video released by the news outlet, the policemen are seen brutally beating the journalist.

“It all began sometime back when I blew the cover of an illegal trade racket run by GRP personnel in the trains, I reported the story and since then I have been on the target of these GRP. Last night, without any fault of mine, I was beaten and locked up. I was tortured while I was held captive last night. I demand strict action on the people involved in beating me up."

As outrage over the incident grew, the Uttar Pradesh police said DGP UP OP Singh ordered for the immediate suspension of SHO GRP Shamli Rakesh Kumar and constable Sanjay Pawar.

The UP Police in its tweet also said that strict punishment will be accorded to policemen misbehaving with citizens.

The incident comes days after a journalist Prashant Kanojia was arrested over his social media posts about UP CM Yogi Adityanath. The top court on Tuesday ordered that Kanojia be released on bail.