4 held as Indore docs attacked, tight security for medical teams

Four people were arrested in Indore Thursday on charges of assaulting a team of medical personnel as they were doing a health screening of locals in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak late Wednesday evening. The police on Thursday sealed the locality and did houseto-house searches to arrest all those involved.

“We have taken the incident very seriously. Four people were held, and we have identified the other accused from video footage. They will be arrested soon”, Indore DIG Hari Narayan Mishra said.

In New Delhi, taking serious note of such incidents, the home ministry directed states to ensure stringent security for medical teams, including giving them paramilitary protection.

In another key advisory, the MHA told all states to check the spread of “fake news or false information or propaganda”, saying one of the key reasons for attacks on doctors was the spread of false and mischievous information.

■

Mumbai: The first conviction in the country for violating the lockdown has come from Pune. A court in Baramati, Pune has awarded three-day imprisonment to three people for violating the lockdown. The three accused were booked under IPC Section 188 after they were found roaming in Baramati city of Pune district without any reason Judge J.J. Bachulkar on Wednesday ordered that the accused Afzal Attar (39), Chandrakumar Shah (38) and Akshay Shah (32) serve three-day imprisonment or pay a fine of `500 each. Baramati’s DSP Narayan Shirgaonkar said, “The three persons were found loitering during the lockdown and were arrested. This is perhaps the first case of conviction for violating the lockdown order. Though the accused have been given a mild punishment, it will serve as an example for other people who are defying the country-wide lockdown.”