‘Beaten with shoes, sticks’: 2 Meerut farmer leaders allege assault at senior cop’s office

Two farmer leaders in Meerut have accused police officials of brutally assaulting them at the Senior Superintendent of Police's (SSP) office and later at the Special Operations Group (SOG) office, prompting the ADG of Police in Meerut to order an inquiry. Digvijay Bhati, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BR Ambedkar), and Mohit Jatav, the union's Meerut district president, alleged that they were beaten with shoes, fists, sticks, and wooden planks.

Bhati claimed he was dragged inside the SSP's office by police officers after objecting to their abuse. He alleged that he and Jatav were tied up and assaulted at the SOG office, sustaining injuries to his eyes and back. Photographs showed swelling and injuries around Bhati's eye. Bhati was arrested on July 8 following a protest over the death of a Dalit woman and has been facing 10 cases, while Jatav faces five cases, most related to protests and allegations of assault.

Samajwadi Party leaders met ADG Bhaskar to lodge a complaint about the alleged assault. SP district president Karamveer Singh said the party has worked with Bhati's organization on several occasions. SP national president Akhilesh Yadav criticized the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly torturing farmer leaders in a bid to prevent defeat in elections, demanding strict action against those responsible.