Police ran roughshod over road commuters at several places across the State on Saturday in the aftermath of strict instructions issued by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to enforce lockdown from 10 a.m.
What was limited to imposing fines on travelling public beyond 10 a.m. till Friday suddenly escalated to a higher level of punishment as the police wielded lathis and seized their vehicles. The people were taken by surprise and entered into arguments with the police at several places resulting in mild tension.
The police set up barricades on thoroughfares to stop the traffic and check the permissions and e-passes of each passer by. Their vehicles were immediately seized if they failed to produce any and asked to go home on foot. The government and emergency staff were let off if they produced ID proof. The crowding at check-points and haphazard parking of vehicles led to huge traffic jams. The seized vehicles were shifted to Goshamahal police stadium in the city and owners informed that they will be returned only after the conclusion of lockdown.
Top police officials led by Director General of Police M. Mahender Reddy took to the roads to supervise the enforcement.
Intensive checking
In Khammam, intensive vehicle checking was conducted at 15 check-posts along the inter-State borders with Andhra Pradesh and also at 15 check-points within the district as part of rigorous enforcement of lockdown to stem the COVID-19 spread.
The police seized 230 vehicles including 215 two-wheelers, three cars and other vehicles found plying on the roads in defiance of the lockdown regulations in the town and various other parts of the district on Saturday.
Mobile police teams were pressed into service to conduct surprise vehicle checking at as many as 37 police pickets set up for strict enforcement of the lockdown across the district.
Vehicles involved in emergency and other notified essential services as per the lockdown orders were allowed to travel.
Khammam Police Commissioner Vishnu S Warrier visited various police pickets to personally monitor the effective implementation of the lockdown.
Around 230 vehicles were seized for plying on the roads in violation of the lockdown norms after 10 a.m. without any valid reason in various parts of the district on Saturday.
The impounded vehicles were shifted to the nearest police stations.
In Bhadradri-Kothagudem district, the police impounded a total of 16 two-wheelers and one car for violating lockdown regulations.
