Policeman suspended after video of him towing car with woman breastfeeding baby inside sparks outrage

After widespread condemnation over a viral video that showed traffic police officers towing a car, which had a woman breastfeeding her baby, in India's Mumbai, a constable has been suspended by the department.

The Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) said that the matter would be dealt "appropriately and sternly" once an investigation report is submitted on Sunday (12 November).

The two-minute video shot by a bystander shows a car being towed with a woman seated in the back breastfeeding her seven-month-old baby.

According to reports, the incident is said to have occurred around 5.30pm local time (12pm GMT) on Friday when the police said they found the car parked in a no-parking zone.

Traffic constable Shashank Rane, who was seated in the towing van, called the local police as well as the police control room saying that the woman and her husband allegedly tried to obstruct him from "doing his duty", the Times of India newspaper reported.

Rakhi Mali, the woman who was inside the car, told the newspaper: "My husband requested the traffic cop to take the fine amount and release our car. Our child is unwell and we wanted to rush to a doctor. However, the traffic cop was adamant and did not listen to us".

She also said that Rane deliberately towed her car even though two more cars were parked illegally ahead of hers.

In the video, Mali can be heard shouting at the police and asking him to stop towing her car. The matter was resolved after local police reached the spot.

"The couple had gone somewhere after parking their car on the busy S V Road. The traffic constable took action and the woman's husband, Yuvraj Mali, even paid a fine for parking in a no parking zone," Sanjay Jadhav, deputy commissioner of police (west traffic) said.

Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic)told The Indian Express: "It has prima facie been noticed that the safety of a woman and child was endangered in the said incident. Hence, pending inquiry, the constable is being placed under suspension. A decision about departmental action shall be taken after the inquiry report is received."

IBTimes UK has reached out to the Mumbai Traffic Police for more details on the incident and is awaiting a response.