Video shows BJP leader beating up police officer in Meerut restaurant, arrested

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) municipal councillor in Meerut was arrested Saturday for allegedly beating up a sub-inspector of police and roughing up a woman accompanying him as an argument over delayed service at his restaurant turned violent, police said.

A case of assault and other charges was registered against councillor Manish Panwar and his staff at the Black Pepper restaurant on the woman’s complaint, a police officer said. Footage of the CCTV camera shows the woman throwing plates in the restaurant and Panwar repeatedly slapping sub-inspector Sukhpal Singh Panwar and abusing him and his staff dragging him on the floor.

The police officer tried to capture the entire incident on his mobile phone, but the staff members snatched it away.

Circle officer, Daurala, Pankaj Singh said that sub-inspector, posted at the Mohiuddinpur post, has been sent to police lines and a departmental probe has also been ordered against him. A case would be registered against the officer if he was found guilty, he added.

BJP city president Mukesh Singhal said he was not aware about the incident as he was in Lucknow and will inquire about it.

The sub-inspector had gone to the restaurant along with a woman on Friday night and an argument broke out between the woman and restaurant staff after a delay in serving food. The restaurant staff accused the woman of using foul language.

In the meantime, Manish Panwar allegedly ordered the staff to close the restaurant’s doors and thrashed the sub-inspector.

The woman told officials that she had gone to meet the sub-inspector in connection with a case and that the staff misbehaved with her when she raised the issue of delay in their order.