Female police officer who made stand against Indian politicians ‘punished’

A policewoman who stood up to a group of ruling party politicians in India has been transferred to a different post.

A video went viral of officer Shrestha Thakur arguing with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politicians after she tried to fine them for a traffic violation in Uttar Pradesh state.

She has claimed she was told her transfer was routine but adds that she was not due for a transfer for at least another year.

The officer’s new position will see her transferred to Bahraich, near to the border with Nepal.

The decision has caused anger in India but it is still unclear whether the transfer is a pre-meditated choice. Ms Thakur herself told BBC Hindi she was not sure if the posting was a punishment for doing her job or a reward for her good work, and had decided to treat the news positively.

However, the news caused a stir on social media, with many people criticising the Uttar Pradesh government for punishing competence, whilst others insisted that people were reading too much into a "routine" transfer.