In an incident of apparent high-handedness, two Telangana policemen threatened a shop owner in Khammam on Saturday, and even pulled out a revolver, to intimidate him.
CCTV footage of the incident which has surfaced, shows two policemen in plainclothes entering a shop near Khammam bus stop at around 7pm.
Within a few minutes, the duo are seen engaging in a heated conversation with the shopkeeper, even pulling out a gun and threatening him.
The video also shows one of the men pushing the shopkeeper on the floor, and creating a ruckus, following which a crowd from outside the shop gathers.
When locals intervene and question them about what was happening, the duo continue to argue, as can be seen from the video.
When asked who they were, one of them yells, "I'm police. You want me to show? Sub-inspector, special branch. Enough?"
The video ends at this point.
The two policemen are said to be brothers, and have been identified as Mahesh and Rana Pratap.
Speaking to media persons after filing a complaint, the shopkeeper said, "On July 12, one of the men had come to my shop, and I had asked him what he wanted. However, he behaved very rudely and left. Today (Saturday), when he came back with another person, I recognised him, and asked him if he was the same person who had stolen a belt from my shop.”
"He said that he had come for me only, and asked me to come to the police station. In that time, another person came and pulled out a gun. Both of them started hitting me, and saying that there is a complaint against me, and I should go to the station," he added.
The shopkeeper also alleged that the duo thrashed him, even though he agreed to cooperate.
"They also hurled abuses at me and threatened to kill me. If the police who have to protect us, behave like this, then who should we approach. They should be dismissed and an enquiry must be initiated," he said.
"Two people manhandled the shopkeeper, and assaulted him. We have obtained the CCTV footage. SI Rana Pratap is attached to the Mahbubabad police, and Mahesh is working with the Kothagudem police," CI Rahman from the Khammam One Town police station, told the media.
"We have registered a case under Section 448 (trespass), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation), 34 (common intention) and Section 27 of the Arms Act, for misusing the weapon," he added.
The duo were reportedly taken into custody.
Here is the CCTV footage of the incident.