Two policemen were removed from duty in Khandwa district on Sunday after a video surfaced wherein they were found baton-charging a COVID-19 patient’s family members, including an elderly man and women, at a village in Khandwa district. The family members were earlier accused of attacking a health survey team and a police officer. The health workers, comprising two women para-medics, from Chhaigaon Makhan were allegedly assaulted by the family members of a 20-year-old infected man at Sirsod Banjari village when they had gone there to seek his feedback.
Later, when the local thana in-charge (TI) and his men reached the village, a dispute ensued with the family members, including an elderly man, two women and a teenage boy. The elderly man was also seen trying to hit a policeman with a stone.
Soon after, two policemen were seen holding the man and third man in uniform hitting him with a baton in full vigour. When women tried to save the man they were also beaten up with batons multiple times. A video shot from a nearby rooftop has now gone viral following which local MLA Ram Dangore raised the matter with the collector and superintendent of police seeking action.
Former chief minister and state Congress president Kamal Nath has shared the video from his Twitter handle and questioned the ‘barbaric and inhuman act’ of the police.
प्रदेश के खंडवा ज़िले के बंजारी गाँव का यह विडीओ बताया जा रहा है।एक कोविड पाज़िटिव मरीज़ के परिजनो की किस तरह पुलिस द्वारा बर्बर तरीक़े से पिटाई की जा रही है , महिलाओं पर भी लाठियाँ बरसायी जा रही है ?शिवराज जी , यह अमानवीयता है , बर्बरता है। pic.twitter.com/cfy71QM5BM— Office Of Kamal Nath (@OfficeOfKNath) April 11, 2021
“After the health workers complained about being attacked by the patient’s family, a police team arrived at the village. They too were attacked and a sub inspector and an assistant sub-inspector got injured along with two health workers,” said Chhaigaon Makhan police station in charge G Kanail.
Health officials said the man was tested for coronavirus on Friday and his report returned positive on Sunday, after which a team went to the village to get him to a hospital, but his kin insisted that he be home quarantined, which started the altercation. After the medical team was attacked, a police complaint was filed, said a health worker.
Khandwa SP Vivek Singh said the TI and a constable has been line attached (removed from duty) after receiving a complaint from the family members of the patient. “Another FIR has been lodged on the health team’s complaint. The local City SP Khandwa has been asked to probe into the matter and submit a report,” Singh said.
There have been several recent reports of police personnel losing their cool with the public over minor issues. Days ago, two police constables had thrashed an auto driver in Indore in front of his minor son. The duo were suspended later.
(With PTI inputs)
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