Sun Nov 24 04:10:01 UTC 2024: ## Off-Duty Police Officer Brutally Assaulted by Mob in Varanasi
**Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh –** A Station Head Officer (SHO) of Rajatalab police station, Ajit Verma, was violently assaulted by a mob in Varanasi last evening after a minor traffic accident. The incident occurred while Verma, who was off-duty and traveling with his family, was involved in a fender bender with an auto-rickshaw.
According to witnesses, the altercation quickly escalated into a full-blown assault. The mob, numbering around half a dozen men, dragged Verma from his car, ignoring his pleas for mercy and his identification as a police officer. His wife and children witnessed the attack from inside the vehicle. Despite attempting to defend himself, Verma was overwhelmed by the crowd, who punched and beat him with sticks. A fellow constable who tried to intervene was unsuccessful in stopping the mob.
Videos circulating online show the brutal assault, with the mob relentlessly attacking Verma even as he identified himself and begged them to stop in front of his family. Police from nearby stations eventually arrived and dispersed the crowd, rescuing the injured officer.
Both Verma and the individuals involved in the assault have filed counter-complaints with the police. An investigation is underway.
First Piper 