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The Madhya Pradesh administration has invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against four people after they stone pelted health care workers who had come for Covid-19 testing in the area on Wednesday.
The current number of Covid-19 positive cases in the state now stand at 164. The state’s newly appointed Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made the announcement in his address yesterday saying that those who attacked the healthcare workers were the “enemies of humanity” and that there would be strict action taken against them.
अपनी जान जोखिम में डालकर जनता की जान बचाने वाले डॉक्टर, पैरामेडिकल स्टाफ पर हमला किसी भी कीमत पर बर्दाश्त नहीं किया जायेगा। हमला करने वालों पर रासुका के तहत सख्त कार्रवाई होगी: सीएम श्री @ChouhanShivraj#IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/jaHm5jE74u
— Office of Shivraj (@OfficeofSSC) April 3, 2020
Speaking to The Hindu, Vivek Sharma, Inspector General of Police, Indore Zone, confirmed the news and said, “We have arrested 13 of the accused. The Act has been invoked against four of them.”
A group of health workers, anganwadi workers, revenue officials, municipal officials and police personnel had visited the Tatpatti Bakhal area in Indore to trace the contact history of a Covid-19 patient when they were pelted with stones, a notice issued by the Collectorate said.
#WATCH Madhya Pradesh: Locals of Tatpatti Bakhal in Indore pelt stones at health workers who were there to screen people, in wake of #Coronavirus outbreak. A case has been registered. (Note-Abusive language) (1.04.2020) pic.twitter.com/vkfOwYrfxK
— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2020
“By instigating residents of the locality to obstruct administrative work, some mischievous elements not only tried to play with their lives but with those residing in the whole city,” the note read.
The official Twitter handle of the Collector of Indore mentioned that the four accused had been sent to the Central Jail in Rewa. Media reports said that Section 3 (2) of the NSA had been invoked against them.
संदेहास्पद मोहल्लों में घर-घर जाकर स्वास्थ्य टीम द्वारा जाँच की जा रही है। संदिग्ध क्षेत्रों में लॉकडाउन का कड़ाई से पालन किया जा रहा है। @JansamparkMP #indoreattack #Indorelockdown #TotalLockdown #coronawarriors pic.twitter.com/lCHpaRiB3o
— Collector Indore (@IndoreCollector) April 3, 2020
According to Section 3 (2) of the NSA, “The Central Government or the State Government may, if satisfied with respect to any person that with a view to preventing him from acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the State or from acting in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order or from acting in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the community it is necessary so to do, make an order directing that such person be detained.”
On Wednesday, a case against unidentified persons was registered under Sections 353 [Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty], 336 [Act endangering life or personal safety of others], 145 [Joining or continuing in unlawful assembly, knowing it has been commanded to disperse] and 269 [Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life] of the Indian Penal Code.
The police are now identifying the accused based on videos they have received said IG Sharma.
In Uttar Pradesh, CM Yogi Adityanath also directed the Ghaziabad administration to book six quarantined members who had earlier attended the religious congregation at Delhi’s Nizamuddin West after nurses and medical staff accused them of misbehavior and not following norms of social distancing, The Indian Express reported.
“These people will not follow the law, neither will they listen to the administration. They are enemies of humanity. What they did with the female medical staff in the hospital, it is a criminal act. National Security Act is being imposed and the guilty will not be spared,” Adityanath said, a day after the Ghaziabad hospital’s chief medical superintendent forwarded the staff’s complaint to police.
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