A police sub-inspector allegedly driving under the influence struck a woman pedestrian with his car on Saturday, April 26, in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur sparking public outrage after video footage emerged today.
According to reports, the victim, Poonam Singh, was purchasing flowers near Gayatri Temple in Kalyanpur when the officer's vehicle hit her. According to witnesses, the officer, identified as Kamlesh Kumar, was visibly intoxicated and showed no remorse after the accident.
"I was standing on the footpath when a car driving on the wrong side hit a motorcycle and then ran over me," Poonam told reporters from her hospital bed. "My leg was fractured and ribs broken. If people hadn't surrounded him, he would have fled after running me over."
A video captured by a bystander, shows the officer responding callously to the incident, saying, "So what if she got injured? What can I do about it?" while onlookers berated him.
The victim's husband, Balram Singh, a government school teacher, alleged that police initially tried to protect their colleague. "Despite his obvious intoxication, they didn't conduct a medical examination. We had to struggle the next day to get an FIR registered," he said.
Poonam underwent surgery for her leg injuries on Monday at a private hospital.
ACP Kalyanpur Abhishek Pandey confirmed the April 26 incident, stating that the sub-inspector is posted at a police station in South Zone. "Whether the officer was intoxicated wasn't mentioned in the FIR nor reported by the victim. The matter is under investigation," he added.
