Express News Service
BHOPAL: Four days days after video of two cops beating an auto driver for improperly wearing mask in Indore caused national outrage, Madhya Pradesh cops now assault a COVID patient and family in Banjari village of Khandwa district on Sunday afternoon.
The incident captured on video pertains to a series of ugly incidents at the house of a young COVID patient.
The 20-year-old youth had tested COVID positive on Sunday, after which the health department team went to his house to check his health status and if required put him under institutional quarantine.
A team comprising a woman doctor and a nurse went to the home, however, once at the patient’s home, the health department team was allegedly attacked by the patient’s family, resulting in injuries to the team members. The medical team was not only attacked but also held captive at the COVID patient’s house.
Another shocker in MP: COVID patient and his kin, including women attacked by cops in Khandwa district’s Banjari village. Two cops, including police station in-charge sent to lines. @NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard pic.twitter.com/LZSLSMrcx3
— Anuraag Singh (@anuraag_niebpl) April 11, 2021
Informed about the incident, a team from the local Chegaon Makhan police station rushed to the spot and tried to free the health department team.
“The COVID patient’s family resisted and started abusing and assaulting the police team, after which the cops used force against the family,” said Khandwa district police superintendent Vivek Singh said.
The COVID patient’s family, however, denied having attacked or abused the health department team or cops and instead alleged that the police team stormed in their house, took out their son and started thrashing him and other family members.
The video which went viral on Sunday evening showed the cops assaulting the COVID patient and family members, including women members.
Both the Congress and the BJP demanded stern action against the cops. State Congress president Kamal Nath and the BJP MLA from Pandhana seat of Khandwa district, Ram Dangore, demanded stern action against the cops for assaulting the COVID patient and his family.
“Two cops, including the Chegaon Makhan police station in-charge and a constable have been attached to Khandwa district police lines for assaulting the family, particularly the women,” the Khandwa SP said.
Further, on the complaint of the health department team, a case u/s 353, 332, 342, 34, 506, 294 and 188 of IPC and 52 of Disaster Management Act has been registered against the COVID patient, his father, mother and sister.
Meanwhile, Dr Yogendra Srivastava, the senior medical specialist and COVID nodal officer in-charge at state government’s JP Hospital, withdrew his resignation following assurance by the health minister Dr Prabhuram Chowdhary.
On Saturday, Dr Srivastava had resigned from job, following alleged misbehavior by Congress leaders led by ex-minister and local MLA PC Sharma, over the death of a critically ill suspected COVID patient.
Over the last 24 hours, new COVID cases rose from the previous day’s 4986 new cases to 5939 fresh cases, while the day’s positivity rate rose to 15.1%. 24 deaths too were reported in the state.
While on Saturday nine districts had reported new cases in three digit figures, the number of such districts rose to 13 on Sunday. Indore with 919 fresh cases reported the highest daily spike in cases, followed by 793 cases in Bhopal, 458 cases in Gwalior, 402 cases in Jabalpur and 218 cases in Ujjain.