Kerala man carries father on back after cops disembark them from auto
In a heart-wrenching picture that not only shows the ugly side of the COVID-19 lockdown, but also the love of a son for his father, a man in Kerala’s Kollam district on Wednesday (April 15) was seen carrying his old and ailing father on his back from the hospital, after police allegedly forced them to get down from the autorickshaw they were travelling in.
Roymon said policemen stopped them while they were returning from the hospital and did not allow them to travel in the auto-rickshaw, citing curfew rules despite being shown documents. Stranded in the middle of the road, Roymon put his father on his back and walked the entire 1km stretch to home.
#WATCH Kerala: A person carried his 65-year-old ailing father in Punalur & walked close to one-kilometre after the autorickshaw he brought to take his father back from the hospital was allegedly stopped by Police, due to #CoronavirusLockdown guidelines. (15.4) pic.twitter.com/I03claE1XO
— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020
According to reports, police officials involved in the incidents, however, have rubbished the allegations. They have said that the vehicle did not have any patient when they stopped it and asked the driver to show his permit pass.
According to Manorama, special branch’s deputy superintendent of police B Vinod has been ordered to conduct a detailed probe into the incident.
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Taking suo moto cognizance of the incident, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission has registered a case in this regard.
In a similar incident in the district, a couple with their ailing four-month-old infant, were forced to wait at the police station for six-and-a-half hours after cops intercepted them while on the way to the hospital and seized the auto-rickshaw which belonged to the man’s brother, reported Manorama.
As on Thursday (April 16), Kerala reported a total of 608 coronavirus cases and three deaths.
The incidents come in the wake of the extension of the lockdown period till May 3.
(With inputs from agencies)