Cop Accompanying COVID-19 Medical Team Attacked in Madhya Pradesh

The assistant sub-inspector sustained a head injury.

Doctors helping fight coronavirus. (Image for representation)

(Photo: PTI)

A police officer was allegedly attacked in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district on Wednesday, 22 April, when he asked members of a family to summon a man so that he could be checked for coronavirus symptoms. A doctor working at a government hospital also accompanied the cop, but he wasn’t hurt, according to a report by NDTV.

Assistant Sub-inspector Shreeram Awasthi (52) sustained a head injury when a stone hit him, the police said.

Four people were arrested in the case and the stringent National Security Act would be invoked, said a senior official, according to the NDTV report.

Sub Divisional Officer of Police Virendra Kushwaha said a medical team went to examine Gopal Shivhare (21) after they learnt that he had returned from Indore, one of the major pandemic hotspots in the country. Gopal’s father Gangaram told the team that his son was not at home and he was fine. He refused to summon his son.

Team leader Dr Pawan Upadhyaya then rang up Daswami police station for help, Kushwaha said.

“ASI Awasthi reached the spot with three policemen and asked Gangaram to bring his son for examination to Daswami, 140 km from the district headquarters,” the SDOP said.

There was an altercation, and Gangaram, his wife Geeta and their elder son Ashish allegedly hurled stones at the police. Awasthi was hit in the head leaving him profusely bleeding, the officer said.

He was rushed to a hospital while four people including Gopal were arrested under relevant sections of the IPC, Kushwaha said.

Awasthi is out of danger, said District Superintendent of Police Sampat Upadhyaya. “We are going to invoke the National Security Act against the prime accused to send a message to anti-social elements that such attacks will be dealt with sternly,” he said.

This is the fifth attack on those working to battle the contagious virus. Earlier, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said that any attack on health workers will bring a penalty of anywhere between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh. For serious offences the fine will be between Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.

(With inputs from NDTV)