Screen grab taken from social media: The woman constable repeatedly slapped the girl inside the police van.

NEW DELHI: Three Indian police officers were suspended yesterday after footage emerged showing a constable attacking a female student they had accused of socializing with a Muslim man, officials said.

The video, which has been circulated widely online, shows a female constable repeatedly striking the young student-who local media report is Hindu-and berating her for allegedly conducting an interfaith relationship. Such liaisons can be frowned upon in Hindu-majority India where Muslims make up one-fifth of the population.

Police in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where the incident occurred, said that the female constable and two other police officials had been suspended pending an inquiry. "Their conduct has led to embarrassment for the UP police," a senior police official who did not want to be named said. - AFP