Delhi traffic policeman hits woman with brick, suspended

New Delhi: A Delhi Traffic Police head constable was on Monday suspended after he attacked a young woman with a brick in the heart of the capital after she refused to pay a Rs.200 bribe.

As a video of the shocking incident went viral, police announced the suspension with immediate effect of Head Constable Satish Chandra.

Bassi said "the erring constable has been suspended. I have also directed that a criminal case should be initiated against him".

The young woman told the media that the policeman hit her with the brick and twisted her arm after she refused to pay him Rs.200 as bribe.

According to Kamal Kanth, the man who shot the video, the incident took place at Golf Links in central Delhi soon after the woman, who was riding a scooter with her young daughters, allegedly jumped a traffic signal.

Kamal Kanth told the media that the policeman demanded the woman's driving license. She gave him a photocopy. She said she did not have the original and began walking away.

"He then pulled her. She got angry over being pulled and hit the policeman's bike with a stone. The policeman then picked up a huge brick and flung it on the woman's back in front of her two children."

But despite being injured, the woman refused to let him go and shouted for help. "People immediately gathered there and overpowered the policeman," said Kamal Kanth.

Other police personnel then reached the spot and detained the erring head constable.

Bassi expressed regret over the incident on behalf of the entire police department.

Muktesh Chander, special commissioner in charge of traffic police, told IANS that a departmental inquiry would be conducted into the episode.