Garhwal Post Bureau
Rudraprayag, 5 Jun: A video from Kedarnath Dham has gone viral on social media, showing a policeman allegedly misbehaving with pilgrims while on duty. The footage has sparked widespread debate and raised questions about the conduct of Uttarakhand Police. Taking the matter seriously, the police administration has ordered an inquiry and immediately removed the police official from his duty point.
The video shows the policeman pushing pilgrims back, with allegations that rough behaviour including shoving and manhandling had left several devotees visibly uncomfortable. The clip has prompted sharp reactions online, with many questioning the idea of ‘Mitra Police’ and demanding respectful treatment of pilgrims.
The footage also depicts the policeman slapping a devotee and pushing a woman pilgrim. Circle Officer (CO) Guptkashi Vikas Pundir stated that at the time of the incident, some pilgrims were attempting to enter the temple premises through the exit gate. Despite repeated instructions from the deployed personnel that the passage was meant only for exit, certain pilgrims allegedly continued to force their way in.
Police officials claim that this disrupted the movement of devotees exiting the temple and risked crowding at both ends of the gate, which could have led to an untoward incident. In view of security and crowd management, the police personnel tried to push people back to restore order.
Officials clarified that a fair investigation into the circumstances of the incident and the policeman’s conduct is underway. The inquiry has been entrusted to Deputy Superintendent of Police Guptkashi Vikas Pundir, and necessary action will follow based on the report. It may be relevant to remind here that Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on several occasions has directed the administration and the police to deal with pilgrims with utmost restraint and in a courteous manner.
