Comical scenes from a not-so-comic situation have emerged from Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district, where two policemen were spotted using unconventional riot gear to break up a local protest.
On Wednesday villagers from Akrampur protested the death of two men in a road accident.
Angry relatives used the bodies to block the main road, and a large group of riot police, some of whom were armed with guns, arrived to persuade them to stand down. The situation spiralled out of control with villagers throwing stones at the cops, several of whom received serious injuries.
In videos that have been widely shared online, one cop is 'wearing' a red plastic stool in lieu of a helmet and another wields a wicker basket cover as a shield.
One four-second clip shows the policeman with the plastic stool - which he clutches with one hand - sauntering down a main road waving his lathi as his colleagues try to restore order.
Other clips show a fierce skirmish with police and villagers throwing stones at each other amid shouts and cries of anger. One side of the main road has been taken over by the villagers.
Yet another clip shows armed cops looking on as their colleagues beat villagers with their lathis.
AdvertisementA Station House Office (SHO) has been suspended over the incident.
