Home guard arrested, dismissed from service for assaulting woman in Hyderabad

A Telangana police home guard was arrested and dismissed from service on Saturday after a video allegedly showing him assaulting a woman and dragging her by her hair outside Hyderabad’s Hafeezpet Railway Station went viral on social media.

The home guard, Anand, who was deployed at Hafeezpet railway station on deputation to the railway police, would be produced before the local court for judicial remand, Cyberabad police commissioner M Ramesh said.

“There is no question of tolerating such inhuman behaviour by the police towards women. We shall take stringent action against the accused home guard,” Ramesh said.

The Miyapur police registered a case against Anand under Sections 74 (use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty) and 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt using dangerous weapons or means) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

“We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the altercation and the assault,” the police commissioner said.

According to the FIR, Anand was performing patrolling duty in the Miyapur area at around 10 pm on Friday night when he was allegedly caught on camera assaulting the woman near Platform No. 1, on the Aditya Nagar side of Hafeezpet Railway Station. Citizens who witnessed the incident reportedly intervened and asked him to let the woman go.

The Miyapur police said the woman was a ragpicker/beggar and that she had allegedly abused the home guard before the assault.

On Saturday morning, the Secunderabad Central Railway (SCR) posted on X, saying the matter had been enquired into and confirming that the personnel involved was a Telangana police home guard deputed to the railway station. “The home guard had been repatriated to the Telangana state police department for necessary disciplinary action,” the SCR said.

Telangana Director General of Police C V Anand strongly condemned the conduct of the home guard and said police personnel could not be excused for such behaviour, irrespective of their rank or the circumstances.

“Such behaviour by our staff, whatever be the rank and whatever be the provocation, cannot be forgiven. It is abominable and in total disregard of all instructions and training,” the DGP said in a post on X.

“He will be removed from service and also a case will be booked and criminal action will be initiated,” the DGP added.

Acting on the directions, Vikarabad district Superintendent of Police Sneha Mehra issued orders dismissing Anand from service following disciplinary proceedings.