Indore municipal official suspended after video of civic staff mistreating homeless people goes viral 

The Madhya Pradesh government has suspended a senior Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) official after a shocking video emerged of municipality officials mistreating homeless people and pushing them in a truck.

The homeless, including frail and elderly people with nothing but rags as possession, were being driven out of the city and dropped near a village in biting cold.

Following an outcry, IMC deputy commissioner Pratap Solanki was placed under suspension on the orders of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Two municipality staff were also dismissed from service.

In the video, the IMC’s anti-encroachment squad can be seen transporting people in a truck and dropping them near Shipra village outside Indore city.

After villagers protested the move, the IMC staff took the people back to the city.

In a tweet, the chief minister said, “I have come to know of the inhuman behaviour of some officials of the Indore Municipal Corporation. The deputy commissioner of IMC and two civic staff have been suspended with immediate effect and the collector has been asked to take due care of the elderly. We will not tolerate mistreatment of the elderly under any circumstance.”

IMC additional commissioner Abhay Rajangaonkar said an inquiry had been commissioned to look into the incident. He said the homeless would be taken to government-run centres to protect them from the cold.