Police have beaten a juvenile for stealing a watermelon in Dhaka.
The incident took place at the Doyel Chattar intersection Sunday afternoon. Images of the beating went viral on social media, leading to a barrage of criticism from netizens.
Lal Chand, who runs a shop in the area, said the 15-year-old boy who was beaten had stolen a watermelon from a van as it was passing by.
“Police then followed the teenager and beat him with sticks,” he added.
The victim told this correspondent that he collects plastic from the streets for a living, and he lives nearby.
“When a number of rickshaw vans were crossing the area carrying watermelon, I took one from one of them. When the van puller asked me why I took it, I returned the watermelon to him. However, he still beat me,” he claimed.
Later, a nearby police official also beat him after hearing about the incident, the teenager added.
Abul Hasan, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station, declined to comment on the matter.
Shahbagh police Assistant SI Joynul Abedin, who was on duty in the Doyel Chattar area on Sunday afternoon, said the police official in question is of SI rank and may have been a member of a patrol team.
