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Updated: Aug 08, 2020 01:47 IST

One of the many rumours being spread on social media after the police crackdown on protesters in Jamia Nagar relates to a photograph of a man in plainclothes hitting a protester with a baton, and some women trying to shield him. In this case, many claimed that the man raining blows was a civilian.

On Tuesday, a senior police officer refuted the rumours and insisted that the man whose identity had triggered much speculation was a constable of the South-East district police. So was a second man posing with a baton who many people on social media identified as an activist of a student political body.

The constables weren’t in their uniform because they were attached with a team of detectives at the district’s Anti Auto Theft Squad, or AATS.

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Chinmoy Biswal, deputy commissioner of police (south-east), said the AATS team is generally in civil clothes because of the nature of their work that revolves around “detecting” crimes.

The constable is in his early thirties, said a police officer, but refused to divulge his identity, citing security concerns.

Inspector Love Atrey of the AATS, who was with the constable and other members of his team on Sunday, said that his team was suddenly summoned to chip in to control the law and order situation that erupted when the protests turned violence.

“A dozen of us set out without changing into our uniform. At the spot, we put on anti-riot jackets and wore our motorcycle helmets before dealing with the mob,” said Atrey.

Atrey said that the policeman in question emerged unhurt from the violence.