AGRA: Expressing dissent against senior officials of the state police, scores of policemen observed 'black day' on Friday to protest the arrest and suspension of

Prashant Chaudhary, prime accused in Apple employee Vivek Tiwari murder case.

On Friday, many junior rank cops were seen tying black ribbons on their arms. Scores of pictures were widely circulated on

and

groups showing cops protesting arrest of their colleagues.

The call for protest comes at a time when Director

Police (DGP) OP Singh in a statement called the accused cop a "rogue in uniform" and said policemen like him must be served with strictest of punishment.

This came even after dismissed constables,

Prakash Pathak, the general secretary of police non-gazetted employees’ welfare association,

, and constable Brijendar Yadav, chairperson of the group which gave the call for ‘black day’, were arrested in Mirzapur and Varanasi late on Thursday night.

Cops wearing black ribbon in protest

Speaking to TOI, Rajeshwar Pathak, brother of constable Avinash Prakash Pathak, said, "Mirzapur police arrested Avinash on late Thursday night after he called for 'Kala Diwas'."

Constable Avinash served lasting posting with 37 PAC, Kanpur city and was currently living with family in Mirzapur. On Friday, Avinash was present to local district court.

Cops wearing black ribbon in protest

Similarly, constable Sarvesh Chaudhary of

police was suspended and a departmental enquiry was initiated against him after he posted a video against senior authorities for not supporting their juniors.

Though on Friday evening Sarvesh resigned from his job and said, “You have to pay price for going against system. In this country everyone has right of freedom of expression, and I merely exercised my right.”

Last year too, Sarvesh in a Facebook post, complained to PM Modi about alleged harassment by senior officers.

Further unhappy over black ribbon on arm, SSP Lucknow Kalanidhi Naithani, suspended three constables of Aliganj (Jitendar Kumar Verma), Guddamba (Sumit Kumar) and Naka (Guarav Chaudhary), for alleged breach of peace. Officer Naithani also transferred three SHOs of Lucknow’s Aliganj (Ajay Kumar Yadav), Guddamba (Dharmesh Kumar Shahi) and Naka (Parshuram Singh).

Commenting on the actions taken against constable for participating in protest, DGP officer PRO Vivek Tripathi in a statement said, “Services of constable Avinash Prakash Pathak and Birjendar Yadav have been terminated and the two have been arrested. A departmental inquiry has been initiated against constable Sarvesh Chaudhary posted in Etah.”

He said, "We are keeping strict vigilance on social media, as scores of morphed pictures of cops with black ribbon on arms are being shared and circulated. Details of those cops are been taken out who are found wearing black bands during duty. Strict action will be taken against them.”