00:04This police officer walked inside a police van and started slapping detained protesters.
00:09The clip went viral, leaving many asking, who is this officer?
00:17He is Avinash Pandey, a 2015 batch IPS officer and the SSP of Meret.
00:22Pandey has built a reputation for being a tough officer.
00:25Back in May, he suspended a police inspector during a live video conference after the officer admitted he wasn't even
00:31aware of a missing woman's case that had been pending for weeks.
00:34He also made headlines after booking two cinema halls and taking nearly 500 newly recruited sub-inspectors to watch Dharandar
00:402, calling it a lesson in policing and tackling organised crime.
00:44But this time, he was in the spotlight for a different reason.
00:50The incident took place during protests over the murder of a BA student, Lalita Gautam.
00:55She went missing on 15th May and her body was found two days later.
00:59Police arrested the main accused, who allegedly knew her, and booked two others for allegedly destroying evidence.
01:04However, the victim's family and members of the Dalit community demanded action against everyone they believed was involved.
01:10They gathered outside the Meret Collectorate to protest.
01:13Police said they repeatedly asked the protesters to clear the road, but they refused.
01:18Officers then dispersed the crowd using what they described as minimum force.
01:22Pandey later defended the action, alleging that outside elements had instigated the protests to disturb law and order.
01:36The videos have since sparked widespread criticism online, with many questioning whether the use of force was justified.
01:42What do you think?
01:43Let us know in the comments.
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