A video showing Indian cops planting drugs on a man while frisking has led to the suspension of four cops. The Mumbai police took the action of suspending the officers after the video went viral on social media.
Cops Placed Mephedrone in Man's Pocket
The video shows two officers frisking a man while two other officers stand nearby. In the footage, one of the officers is seen placing an item into the suspect's pocket before all four men take him into custody for allegedly possessing 20 grams of mephedrone.
Deccan Herald reported that the suspended officers include a police sub-inspector and three constables from the Khar Police Station, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone XI) Rajtilak Roshan. The officers, who were part of the Anti-Terror Cell at the Khar station, had conducted a raid at an open plot in the Kalina area on Friday evening, where the incident took place.
The man in the video, identified as Daniel, was initially detained by the officers. Daniel claimed in an interview with a local news channel that the officers threatened to frame him for drug possession but eventually let him go when they realized the incident was captured on CCTV.
Disciplinary Action Initiated Against Cops
As per the outlet, while speaking to the news agency PTI, DCP Rajtilak Roshan confirmed that disciplinary action was taken against the officers after the video evidence showed a clear breach of protocol. "They arrived at the location based on information about drugs, but their actions, as seen in the CCTV footage, were not in line with proper procedure," Roshan said.
Additionally, an associate of Daniel alleged that the incident might have been motivated by a dispute with a local builder over the plot where the raid occurred. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and the suspended officers are awaiting further disciplinary review.
The incident also brought the ire of social media users. "First thing Mumbai police should be asking is, where did this cop get the drugs from. This itself is a crime. Rest of the action can be an add on. This nation and its law and order is going down the gutter day by day, this happens when you do selective action only," wrote a user on X.
