A journalist working for a local news channel has accused two Goa Police officers of assaulting him because he spoke in Hindi.
In his police complaint, Mukesh Kumar, who works for Prudent Media, said that he was targeted late Saturday by Inspector P.K. Vast and Sub-Inspector Vikram Naik for speaking in Hindi.
He said he was also slapped on his head within the Panaji police station premises.
"The police officers targeted me because I was speaking in Hindi and therefore believed I was not from Goa," Kumar told IANS.
On Saturday night, Mukesh Kumar was speaking to his wife in Hindi on the mobile phone in Panaji's Mala area, when four or five people who appeared out of the darkness started shoving him around.
He called the police and they took him as well as the accused to the Panaji police station.
"To my surprise, the police were speaking politely to the accused and instead started badgering me. The police inspector even slapped me on the head," said Kumar, who has also used his mobile phone to partially record the incident.
Kumar claims that he was singled out for speaking in Hindi, the country's national language, and for not being a local.
The video recording has been handed over to the police as evidence.
Kumar, however, said that even after filing a complaint Sunday, a first information report had not been filed till late Monday night.
Speaking to IANS, Police Inspector of the Panaji police station, Rajendra Prabhudessai, confirmed the receipt of complaint.
"We have received the complaint. It has been sent to the North Goa superintendent of police for further action," Prabhudessai said.
