Four Arrested in Indore for Attacking, Spitting on Health Officials During Covid-19 Contact Tracing

Indore: Four people were arrested on Thursday for assaulting a team of doctors in Indore as cases of coronavirus continue to soar in Madhya Pradesh.

The incident happened on Wednesday when a team of doctors, along with the local administrative official, visited the Tatpatti Bakhal area to trace the contacts of some positive patients reported earlier.

However, the residents of the area protested and verbally abused the doctors, while hurling stones at them.

“We had data of few COVID-19 patients from the area, following which we visited the area to trace the contacts of the patients. We could screen only one individual, when suddenly locals gathered around us protesting against the medical examination. They pelted stones at us and we somehow managed to save our lives by hiding inside the vehicle of local tahsildar who accompanied us to the place,” said one of the women doctors on condition of anonymity.

The locals had also vandalised the barricades put by the police after a heated argument broke put with personnel accompanying the visiting doctors. Later, a heavy contingent of police was deployed to bring the situation under control.

“The four accused have been identified and held. They have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code,” said Harinarayanchari Mishra, DIG, Indore.

Meanwhile, the Chief Medical and Health Officer in Indore, Dr Pravin Jadiya, said that the women doctors have sustained injuries in the leg during the attack.

The videos of the disturbing incident have gone viral.

Moreover, cops said that the police are also monitoring social media and a case was lodged against one admin of a WhatsApp group in Azad nagar area for fuelling tensions based on fake news.

A few days ago, a similar incident was reported from Ranipura area in Indore where locals spat on medical staff, who went there to examine their health.

District Collector Manish Singh has issued a warning stating that those misbehaving with the administration, including the health staff, would be booked by the police.