'Bully' Mumbai traffic cop slaps college student, damages eardrum

Mumbai Police's tolerance levels appear to be at an all-time low. Day after a constable was questioned for abusing a group of kids, a traffic cop allegedly thrashed a 19-year-old college student

Illustration/Uday Mohite

Mumbai Police's tolerance levels appear to be at an all- time low. A day after a constable was questioned for abusing a group of children, a traffic cop allegedly thrashed a college student, late on Tuesday.

The student is demanding an apology from the cop, who allegedly damaged an eardrum when he slapped him. 

On February 28, Arnab Chauhan (name changed) (19) had gone to a pub in Malad with a few friends. The group left around 1 am. A few minutes later, Arnab got a call from a friend, claiming that a traffic cop had caught him on the suspicion of driving drunk.

Also Read: Hot-headed bar owner slaps cop over cold drink

Arnab rushed to his friend's help, when he fell prey to a bullying cop.  "I was sitting and smoking on a bike by the road when I got the call," he said. "I was walking in the direction of my friend when a policeman called me and asked for the key of the bike on which I was sitting. I told him that it was not my bike, but he began to argue with me."

After the altercation, the policeman allegedly took Arnab to the spot where he had been smoking, but found that the bike was missing.  "He blamed me and claimed that I had given the key to someone to take it away," said Arnab.  The tiff aggravated when the police accused him of driving drunk.

The police allegedly then asked him to sit inside their jeep. When Arnab refused, the cop started forcing him inside. But, because he is hefty, it wasn't easy for the cop to push him single-handedly. A traffic police constable, whom Arnab identified as Kailash Gaikwad, intervened and allegedly punched him several times in his stomach and also slapped him near his ear. They then took him to the police station, where he was charged with drink driving. He was allowed to leave after his mum paid a fine. "The next day, a doctor told me my eardrum was affected," said Arnab.

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Dr BM Kandelwal from Khandelwal ENT and General Hospital, who treated him, said, "There is a perforation in the eardrum that has been caused by external pressure. I can't say if he was slapped."

Arnab said that he didn't file an official complaint, as his mother was reluctant. "I want an official apology from traffic police and they need to provide money for my treatment," he said. He also tweeted about the incident to the Mumbai Police. In response, the police asked him to share details of his complaint on its website. Despite repeated calls, DCP Ashok Dudhe was unavailable for comment.

"I am not aware of this incident. I will look into it and will take action if any officer is found guilty," said Sanjay Jadhav, DCP (traffic, suburbs).

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