Gujarat police thrash live-in partner murder accused, cite reputation damage

A man accused of fatally assaulting his live-in partner at a bus stand in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar city was thrashed by police at the same spot during a crime scene reconstruction, with officials defending the action as a response to the brutality of the murder.

A police inspector claimed they had to “go the extra mile”, treating the incident as a “rarest of rare case”, as it dented their reputation and eroded public faith in the force.

A video of the accused, identified as Faizal Lakhani, tied with ropes and dragged around while being hit with a baton on Saturday, was shared widely on social media platforms.

Inspector D.P. Unadkat from the Neelam Bagh police station said the clip of Lakhani violently assaulting the woman in full public view severely tarnished the image of the police, leading people to say that they had lost faith in the force.