India policeman arrested for hitting woman with a brick

A policeman in the Indian capital, Delhi, has been arrested after television channels broadcast images of him attacking a woman with a brick.

In the footage, the policeman hits the woman in the back with the brick after she hurls a brick at his motorbike.

The video, shot by a passerby, led to outrage. The officer is now suspended.

The woman, who was taking her two daughters home from school on her scooter, says the fight began after the officer asked her for a bribe.

She said the policeman had stopped her for allegedly jumping a red light and demanded 200 rupees ($3; £2).

The woman said she then asked for a receipt, which he refused to provide.

Media reports quoted her saying she had been returning from school with her two daughters. Unlike in many countries where only one pillion rider is allowed, Indians often carry two or three.

The footage which led to the policeman's arrest shows the woman hurling a brick first - at the officer's motorbike. But her older daughter told the NDTV news channel that the policeman had been the first to turn violent.

"When she tried to drive, uncle [the policeman] kicked the scooter and threw a stone at it. My mother picked up the stone and hit it at his bike. He twisted her arm and hit her with [the] brick," she said.

Delhi police commission BS Bassi said a criminal case had been registered against the officer.

"Strict action will be taken against him. We regret that such a shameful act has been committed by a traffic policeman," he said.

The incident has caused outrage in India and many have taken to social media sites to criticise the policeman.This is not the first time policemen in India have been accused of brutality - in 2010, a policeman in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh was suspended after he was seen punching and kicking a woman in a police station.