In FB post, UP cop complains to PM about harassment

AGRA: In yet another case of men in uniform taking to social media to air their grievances, an Uttar Pradesh police constable has posted a video on Facebook addressed to the Prime Minister, complaining of harassment by senior police officers and corruption in the force.

Constable Sarvesh Chaudhary, who belongs to Mathura, is currently posted at the Etah police lines in western UP.

Chaudhary’s complaint comes on the heels of a BSF jawan posting a Facebook video about the “poor quality” of food and an army soldier uploading a video on YouTube alleging that he was forced to “wash clothes, polish boots and walk dogs” for his seniors.

Etah district police chief, Rajesh Krishna, has ordered a probe by additional superintendent of police, Anup Kumar, into Chaudhary’s Facebook post.

The constable, who addressed his recorded message to PM Narendra Modi, said he is a policeman of the 2011 batch. He said that 80% of policemen were not in good health but worked round the clock.

He termed the British-era Police Act of 1861 as a ‘black law’, which ‘earlier allowed the British and now our officials (use) to harass policemen’. He questioned why such a law was continuing.

Chaudhary has complained about his repeated suspensions and transfers after joining the police force in 2011.

“I have been transferred five times since joining at Ghaziabad and was suspended thrice for no proper reason.

I refused to pay a bribe of `500 asked for by the staff for providing pay slip in Firozabad. Instead of a corrupt babu, it was I who received a suspension order,” Chaudhary complained in the video.

“I was taken back into service but salary for the suspension period was not paid to me,” he complained . Chaudhary claimed that he was being harassed and penalised for not meeting unlawful demands.