54 arrested in Bengaluru over violence against police, doctor

The Bengaluru Police on Monday (April 20) arrested 54 people in connection with healthcare workers and police personnel being attacked in the city on Sunday (April 19) night.

The police has registered five different FIR based on complaints by several police officers and a BBMP doctor, who along with others, was in the process of quarantining people in the containment zone in Padarayanapura ward. 

As per the FIRs registered, the police claim that while quarantining those who came in contact with a COVID-19 positive patient, about 58 of them refused to do so and opposed the government’s decision to shift the secondary contacts of the active cases from the area to an institutional quarantine facility (hotels in the city). 

Related news: Scuffle between people to be taken for quarantine, officials in Bengaluru

The group, who allegedly attacked four police personnel from the jurisdictional limits and a BBMP doctor who was on duty handling the quarantine process, were booked for inciting violence, breaking social distancing norms under the Disaster Management Act, damaging public property, and attacking public servants. 

The FIRs indicate that the quarantine process started at 5 PM and violence erupted between 7 PM and 7:20 PM. 

“After taking police protection, I briefed them about the quarantine procedures. We quarantined 15 people and were making arrangements to take the rest 43. But some (family members and neighbours) insisted that we check them on the spot and were not ready to come with us,” Yogesh MC, a BBMP doctor, who was at the spot said.

Yogesh alleged that 50 to 60 people gathered violating social distancing norms and attacked him when he asked them to the follow rules.

“They did not let us finish the quarantine process. Instead they insisted that either we test them right there or take them all under quarantine,” he said.

While the doctor rejected the claim that they pelted stones at him, he said the police rescued him immediately after he raised a complaint with the police commissioner stating  that people in the area were not cooperating with the quarantine procedures.

In the FIR under the doctor’s name as a complainant, it read stones were pelted at the police during the operation. 

Related news: Six inter-ministerial teams to ensure safety of healthcare workers: Govt

Following five positive cases being reported, the Padarayanapura and Bapujinagar wards in the city were identified and containment zones and sealed with movement restricted in the area until April 10.

The violence occurred in a Muslim dominated area. 

In one of the FIRs registered based on the complaint of a police official, a head constable present at the spot said about 70 to 80 people armed with sticks and stones walked towards the police checkpoint and shouted “No one can stop us. Don’t listen to the police. Beat them,” after which they vandalised the police checkpoint, broke the barricade, and caused disturbance in the area. 

The locality is now put on high alert and the officials have quarantined about 43 people under police protection on Monday (April 20). 

The police should have taken such measures during the day and not during the night as it may trigger panic among people, said B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, MLA from Chamarajpet, who condemned the incident and urged the chief minister to order for an impartial investigation and arrest those who broke the law.  

Even a sensible Police officer will accept that such measures have to be taken during the day & not during the night as it may trigger panic among people. We have to understand psychology behind it before concluding that I am a 'Jagirdar'.

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— B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan (@BZZameerAhmedK) April 20, 2020

One of the residents in the area, and a Swaraj Abhiyan member, Khizer Alam said, “Most people in the ward were illiterate and one cannot assume that they know all about quarantine. The police and healthcare workers should taken people into confidence before taking such drastic measures.” 

“More briefing and awareness programmes, would have helped. The regional media demonising Muslim community created a sense of fear among people. It could have triggered these extreme reactions,” Alam said.