A disturbing incident of excessive police force was caught on camera in Andhra Pradesh after a Sub Inspector hurled abuses at a man and his family for reportedly violating the 14-day quarantine period.
“We you gave notice asking you to sit the f*#k at home! Won’t we beat if you violate our order? Should the entire village get infected and die because of your son?” Sub Inspector of Peravali in West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, Kiran Kumar can be seen in the video saying.
The SI even asks the man to kneel down as punishment for attempting to spread coronavirus.
Chala Goranga kodtunnaru gaa @APPOLICE100 pic.twitter.com/7zuvtwaQv5
— Nightcrawler (@ActuallyNANI) March 26, 2020
According to reports, the man had reportedly returned from Dubai and had been ordered to stay in home quarantine for 14 days. Police had arrived to escort the man to an isolation centre after he was found to have violating the home quarantine period.
The video of the incident has been spread widely on social media. Following massive criticism online, state Home Minister Mekathoti Sucharitha responded and announced that the SI had been suspended from services on Thursday.
We have taken action against him, He was suspended.
— Mekathoti Sucharitha (@SucharitaYSRCP) March 26, 2020
Across Andhra Pradesh, several reports of police violence have emerged involving civilians who have ignored the lockdown and stepped out of their homes.
In the neighbouring state of Telangana, after several cases of persons violating the quarantine were found, police began filing cases against them under section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code. Besides that, officials are also impounding the passports, so that foriegn returnees cannot leave.
This decision was taken after the son of a Deputy Superintendent of Police from Kothagudem, returned from London and violated mandatory quarantine while attending social gatherings. He was later tested positive for the disease. Subsequently, a case against him and his father was filed. Two days later, the DSP and the family cook also tested positive for the disease.
Andhra Pradesh has so far recorded 12 coronavirus cases.
Earlier this week, a woman doctor was harassed and beaten by Khammam police in Telangana, while she was going to the hospital during the curfew hour. The doctor was humiliated and asked where she was going at this hour by police. The incident was caught on video. After the incident was widely reported, Khammam ACP P V Ganesh was pulled up and asked to report at the Director General of Police's office in Hyderabad on Friday.
Editor's note: An earlier version of the story had reported that the man was a suspected COVID-19 patient. However, he is only under home quarantine.