ASI suspended for harassing women during Durga puja

An assistant sub-inspector who was deployed to maintain law and order in a village here allegedly harassed women during Durga pooja celebration following which he was beaten up by angry crowd, police said Friday.

ASI Upendra Nath Vidyarthi was suspended on the basis of a video clip of the incident, Samastipur Superintendent of Police Harpreet Kaur said.

He was found teasing girls and women in an inebriated condition Thursday night on Mahanavmi in Vikrampur Bande village under Mufassil police station, Kaur said.

Vidyarthi was deployed in the village to ensure law and order in various Durga puja pandals on Mahanavami.

Villagers alleged that the ASI, who was not in his uniform, was found teasing girls and women in an inebriated condition, police sources said.

He was beaten up by villagers who later hand him over to police.

Kaur said a committee headed by Sadar Deputy Superintendent of Police Pritish Kumar has been constituted to probe the allegations against the ASI.

The local police took Vidyarthi to hospital for medical examination in which it could not be confirmed whether he was drunk, police sources said.