Lockdown violators in at least four districts -- Peddapalli, Mancherial, Kumaram Bheem-Asifabad and Rajanna-Sircilla -- are whisked away by the police for confinement at isolation centres for a few hours on the pretext of counselling for not heeding to the norm to stay indoors.
After identifying the violators, the police were seen taking them in trucks to COVID isolation centres in the districts. This act of police has earned public wrath as violators complain that the law enforcement personnel at best can impose fines and seize the vehicles, but taking them to an isolation centre where COVID-19 positive patients are being treated is beyond the mandate given to them. The police are telling the violators that they will be kept at the isolation centre for week.
“As I was going on the road, the policemen disembarked from the vehicle, came up to me, frisked and pushed me into a truck where another half-a-dozen people were huddled together,” said a youngster from Godavarikhani town.
He along with ‘fellow violators’ were taken to a COVID isolation centre where dozens of positive patients were being treated and was counselled by a police officer and doctors there, who were wearing PPE kit. “They threatened to admit us in the centre if we are seen on the streets again,” the youngster said.
While the police of Ramagundam Commissionerate which enjoys jurisdiction over Peddapalli and Mancherial districts started this initiative on Thursday, their counterparts in Rajanna-Sircilla followed it on Friday.
When contacted, Ramagundam Police Commissioner V Satyanarayana told The Hindu that they have deployed seven COVID-19 isolation vehicles, each one at Peddapalli, Manthani, Ramagundam, Sultanabad, and two at Godavarikhani police station limits. The violators are counselled and let off. “The initiative was started on Thursday and on Friday we can see the difference. No body is coming on to the roads. From Saturday, we will restart the process and send them to isolation centres if tested positive for the virus,” he said.
“We have taken up this exercise to prevent the spread of virus and show the violators how people are suffering,” Mr. Satyanarayana said. He said that other units, including Karimnagar Police Commissionerate and Rajanna-Sircilla have followed their initiative.
Meanwhile, Sircilla DSP P Chandrashekar said they have resorted to this of policing to create ‘fear’ among the lockdown violators and prevent them from repeating.
“It is in the interest and well-being of violators and fellow citizens. They are let off after counselling,” he said.
