Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday instructed officials to recover the cost of damage to property from the persons accused of attacking health officials in Moradabad on Wednesday.
“If they don’t [pay up for the damage], their property should be seized,” a government spokesperson said, quoting the Chief Minister.
Three persons, including a doctor, were injured when a crowd attacked a health department team that went to take samples for checking COVID-19 infection in the Nawabpura area of Moradabad, the police said. The area had been declared a hotspot after one resident died on April 13 of suspected COVID-19 infection. So far, 17 persons, including seven women, have been arrested, they said. An FIR was registered against 21 persons and another 200 unidentified persons under various clauses, including attempt to murder and rioting.
“We have visuals [of the accused], each person has been identified and will be sent to jail,” said Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Awanish Awasthi. He said the stringent National Security Act would also be slapped against the accused, as per Mr. Adityanath’s instructions, to prevent similar incidents in future.
The area around Nek Wali mosque in Moradabad where the health department officials were attacked remained under complete lockdown on Thursday.
Sandeep Badola, State president, Diploma Pharmacist Association, said health department officials would not go door-to-door for identification and sample collection. “The administration gives us a list and asks us to go and identify people in a locality for sample collection. This doesn’t come under our purview. Henceforth, the health department team will sit in the local police station and the policemen should bring the possible COVID-19-infected persons to us for sample collection or institutional quarantine. We have conveyed this to the Chief Medical Officer and the district administration,” he said.
Moradabad CMO M.C. Garg said the injured were out of danger, but the nature of injuries suggested it was a planned attack. Apart from stones, some sharp objects were also used. “We are working out on a plan so that the security of the health professional is not compromised,” he said.
