Cops accused of snacking without paying Ghatampur street vendors

Times News NetworkKanpur: Street vendors in Ghatampur levelled serious allegations against police personnel deployed on a PRV (Police Response Vehicle), accusing them of consuming ‘golgappe’ and ice cream for free, behaving indecently and issuing threats.The complaint was filed by the Uttar Pradesh Adarsh Vyapar Mandal with senior officials through social media platform X, following which a stir was caused in the police department and the ACP (Ghatampur) ordered a full inquiry.Mahesh Verma, district president of the Uttar Pradesh Adarsh Vyapar Mandal, stated that Ramkaran, a panipuri vendor, and Udayram alias Ishwar, an ice cream vendor, have been opertting their carts near the Kushmanda Devi Tiraha in Basant Vihar, in front of Balaji Medical Store, for a long time. It was alleged that police personnel posted on the PRV frequently consumed ice cream and ‘golgappe’ from both vendors without paying.According to Mahesh Verma, when the organisation’s vice-president Ashish Pandey learned of this, he recorded a video of the entire incident. It was alleged that upon learning of the video recording, the police personnel concerned arrived at the spot and attempted to settle the matter by offering Rs 50. A verbal altercation also took place between the police personnel and local residents during this time.The Vyapar Mandal alleged that subsequently, out of vendetta, the police personnel arrived at the spot in a PRV vehicle at around 9:30 pm on the night of May 28 and verbally abused both vendors. It further alleged that they threatened to have the carts removed and used derogatory language against the organisation’s office-bearer as well.The organisation sent a complaint regarding the entire matter to the nodal officer of Dial-112 through social media platform X, and demanded an impartial inquiry and action against the guilty police personnel.ACP (Ghatampur) Krishnakant stated that an inquiry was being conducted into the viral video and the allegations levelled. He said that if the involvement or negligence of PRV personnel was established during the inquiry, action would be taken as per the rules.