The constables were in an inebriated condition when they were arrested.

The complainant, Sunil Shukla, employed with a mobile phone company and a resident of Indira Nagar, said: “I was returning home on my motorcycle when two persons stopped me near the CRPF office at Vibhuti Khand at 12.15 am. They started beating me up. As I tried to make a call from my mobile phone, one of them snatched it and threw it away. The two then threatened me to leave the motorcycle and go away.”

Sunil ran away from the place and sought help from his friend Avinash who informed the police.

The police initially registered a case of robbery and assault against the CRPF men, but later expunged it claiming that the primary investigation did not corroborate the allegation. The police merely initiated action under 34 UP Police Act (found drunk and being riotous) and released both the accused on bail later in the noon.

Station Officer of the Gomti Nagar police station Rudra Kumar Singh claimed: “The CRPF constables Jaspal Singh and Sonu Yadav indulged in violence under the influence of the alcohol. They had no intention of robbing the victim’s motorcycle. The police reached the spot 20 minutes after receiving the information, the constables were still at the spot with the motorcycle.”

“A report has been sent to the CRPF Lucknow office about the incident,” the Singh said.