A police officer in Punjab has been suspended after a video of him kicking a vegetable cart in the name of enforcing lockdown came to light on Wednesday.

The officer has been identified as Navdeep Singh, station house officer (SHO) of Phagwara police station.

As per a report by The Tribune, Senior Superitendent of Police Kapurthala, Kanwardeep Kaur, has placed the officer on suspension and initiated a departmental inquiry against him.

The video shows the officer kicking a container carrying vegetables belonging to a vendor.

The Tribune report says that around hundred vendors had set up their carts at the spot. Even though it was in violation of the lockdown, the officer was expected to issue challans and not kick the food carts.

The newspaper has quoted the SSP as saying that “as a member of a disciplined force, such behaviour is against service rules and is unwarranted”.

The official Twitter account of Punjab director general of police (DGP) posted, “Absolutely shameful and unacceptable. I have suspended SHO Phagwara. Such misbehaviour will not be tolerated at any cost and those who indulge in it will have to face serious consequences.”

Even though various state governments have enforced lockdown to curb the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic, the truth remains that the poor are finding it tough to earn a living.

It’s a common practice that vendors open their shops and carts when they feel the police are not around.