MP police face heat after footage shows advocate being manhandled, clothes torn in public view

A disturbing video has emerged from Rewa district showing three policemen dragging a lawyer by his collar, pushing him down a street, and tearing his clothes during an anti-encroachment drive. The incident, which occurred two days ago, surfaced on Thursday and has triggered sharp reactions from the legal community.

The advocate, Neeraj Verma, claims he was at the site only to show land documents on behalf of four tribal families—Shyamlal Kol, Brijlal Kol, Bablu Kol, and Arjun Kol—who have held patta land since 1980.

What the video shows

The footage, now circulating widely, captures three uniformed officers pulling Verma across a road. His black coat and court uniform can be seen torn. At one point, the advocate attempts to show papers, but the officers continue pushing and dragging him while a crowd watches. Some policemen are heard using abusive language.

Verma told reporters he was held at the police station for nearly six hours. "I was only trying to show the patta documents to stop an illegal action. They treated me like a terrorist. I thought they would kill me," he said.

Background of the land dispute

According to Verma, the administration was demolishing houses on tribal land without issuing proper notice. He said the tehsildar had earlier ordered eviction, but Verma had filed an appeal that remains pending. No hearing had been held on the stay application either.

Despite this, Verma alleges, the administration and police allegedly colluded with land mafia elements to raze the tribal family's home. He further claimed that the SDM refused to hear his side or provide copies of relevant documents.

Police deny allegations

Station house officer Vijay Singh defended the action. "The administrative team was acting on court orders. The advocate kept obstructing government work repeatedly despite several warnings. He was removed from the spot and taken to the station to maintain law and order," Singh said.

However, when asked by reporters, neither Singh nor tehsildar Anupam Pandey could produce a copy of the court order authorising the demolition. They also could not clarify which court had issued such directions.

SDM orders fresh inquiry

SDM Anurag Tiwari said the matter would be investigated afresh. "The tehsildar issued an eviction order, but a tehsildar does not have the authority to carry out eviction," Tiwari acknowledged.

Verma has demanded a fair probe and action against the policemen and officials involved. Meanwhile, the administration continues to maintain that its actions were fully legal.

Local legal community reacts

Lawyers in Rewa have expressed concern over the treatment of a colleague on duty. Some have called for a judicial inquiry, pointing out that if an advocate cannot safely present documents during an official proceeding, it sets a dangerous precedent for legal representation in rural areas.

The video's emergence has widened the dispute, with both sides sticking to their versions as pressure mounts on the district administration to clarify its stand.