Cops garland thief with shoes, parades him in Jammu; probe ordered after social media flak

The man was caught stealing money while buying medicines, media reports said.

A video of the police team garlanding him with shoes has gone viral online, sparking massive criticism.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police department has condemned the behaviour of their personnel as "unprofessional, unbecoming" and promised action.

The police said they have taken cognizance of the incident, and that an inquiry has been ordered.

The video showed the man, stripped to the waist and handcuffed, seated on the bonnet of a police jeep and then driven around the streets of Jammu city.

The police can also be seen using a public address system, announcing that the man was arrested for stealing Rs 40,000 while buying medicine for his patient in the Bakshi Nagar area.

Many locals also joined the police team, headed by the Station House Officer of Bakshi Nagar police station.

Following massive flak on social media, the Deputy Superintendent of the Police has been asked to hold the inquiry and submit a report within a week.

"A video went viral on social media platforms wherein a person whose upper part is naked and being garlanded with slippers, was found paraded by police personnel of police station Bakshi Nagar," the police said in a statement.

"This act on part of the police personnel is unprofessional, unbecoming of members of a disciplined organisation and calls for a stern departmental action," the statement read.