Bengaluru: Officials Thrash Teenage Boy for Refusing COVID-19 Test

The incident took place in Chickpet in Bengaluru. A video being circulated shows the boy being mercilessly beaten.

The incident took place in Chickpet in Bengaluru.  

(Photo Courtesy: The News Minute/Video screengrab)

In a brazen incident of highhandedness by authorities, a teenager was thrashed by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike officials for apparently not cooperating when asked to be tested for COVID-19.

A video being circulated online shows the boy being mercilessly beaten. BBMP officials, on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the incident took place in Nagarathpet, which comes under Dharmaraya Swamy Temple ward in Chickpet constituency of South Zone.

In the video, it can be seen that the boy, wearing a blue shirt, is overpowered by two officials wearing peach and white shirts. While one man in white is holding the young boy’s hands, the other man is seen hitting the boy on his neck and face. The boy helplessly tries to defend himself but is forced to the ground. Later, one official is seen holding the boy’s neck and almost banging the boy’s head on a table. In the course of this, two other men (passers by) are seen trying to pacify the two officials. But the other officials sitting at the table seem reluctant to stop the attacking duo.

Some questioned why the boy was being forced to test when he was apparently asymptomatic given the state government has decided not to test asymptomatic people. On the other hand, many people across the state have complained that they have been refused tests by officials for being asymptomatic.

Reacting to this incident, BBMP Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said that a departmental investigation has been ordered. He said that strict action will be taken against the guilty.  He said that officials cannot force people even though the BBMP is trying to ramp up test numbers.

In the light of the video going viral, other videos of BBMP’s alleged highhandedness in other parts of the city, too, have surfaced. One video shows a man seemingly forced out of a building by officials. This incident allegedly took place in the same area.

The News Minute had reported similar situations taking place in mid-March in Majestic and other busy areas of the city in the name of random testing. It was then reported how among other factors, testing targets for field teams resulted in harassment of the public.

This story was first published in The News Minute and has been republished with permission.)