MP cops thrash kin of COVID-19 patient after attack on healthcare workers

Two policemen have been suspended in Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh after brutally beating up people on Sunday. This happened after a brawl between healthcare workers and the relatives of a COVID-19 patient, a police official informed. 

A video that went viral on social media where cops are seen thrashing a COVID-19 patient and his family after they allegedly attacked a team of Health Department workers who had come to take him to hospital, said the Superintendent of Police (SP), Vivek Singh.

A police team had reached Sirsod Banjari village under Chhaigaon Makhan police station area after a dispute between the kin of a 20-year-old COVID-19 patient and healthcare workers who had come to take him to a hospital, said the officials.

"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.

The 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.

"The Chhaigaon Makhan police station in-charge and a constable were 'line attached' (taken off field duty and deployed in police line as punishment) in connection with this incident,"  the Khandwa SP Vivek Singh said. A case has been registered against the family and further investigation is underway.

COVID-19 Tally In MP

Madhya Pradesh on Sunday reported 5,939 fresh coronavirus positive cases, the highest rise in a single day, taking the tally to 3,38,145 while 24 fatalities pushed the toll to 4,184, the state health department said. Since the beginning of April, Madhya Pradesh has recorded 42,634 new infections and 198 fatalities. Madhya Pradesh is now left with 35,316 active cases.

A total of 3,306 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours in Madhya Pradesh, taking the count of recoveries to 2,98,645, the department said. With 919 new cases, Indore's caseload went up to 78,511 while that of Bhopal rose to 58,127 with the addition of 793 infections.

(With Agency Inputs)

Image : ANI/PTI/Representative Image