AP police explain incident involving health worker

Visakhapatnam police registered a case against two frontline workers after they verbally abused the police personnel, while they were checking commuters as part of Covid curfew implementation.

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh): After a video of a frontline worker being assaulted by police personnel in Visakhapatnam went viral, the police on Sunday clarified that the incident ensued after attempts to arrest her as she verbally abused police personnel.

Visakhapatnam East Assistant Commissioner of Police Harshitha said, "In a viral video, a frontline worker was seen manhandled by police personnel. It was not the complete video. She came to the police arguing about challan issued to her friend. Later, she started insulting the police. A case has been registered against them."

The case was registered against Lakshmi Aparna and her friend Raj Kumar, who was seen trashed by police personnel in the viral video. Addressing media Harshitha said that the incident occurred on Saturday at Ramatalkies Junction, Visakhapatnam City after D Ramu, Sub Inspector of Police gave challan to Raj Kumar, while vehicle checking as part of Covid curfew implementation.

"The person failed to furnish any pass, ID proof or give any proper explanation for his movement. As a result, the SI raised an eChallan for a covid violation and he was let go. Later, at about 5.40 pm, the rider along with one woman came to the check-post who started aggressively arguing with police officers as to who gave them the right to raise a challan on her friend," ACP said.

"The woman told that her friend came to pick her up and that she is a frontline worker working at Apollo pharmacy. The SI at the picket explained to the girl that the same was not disclosed by Rajkumar and he failed to furnish any ID proof or permission in that regard, hence the fine was raised," she said.

"However, the girl continued to quarrel with the check post staff, WHG-482 intervened into the matter and questioned the girl about her misdemeanour upon which woman started using abusive words to refer the police personnel doing duty there.

She refused to leave the spot and several nearby persons started to gather. They and one person from Apollo also asked the girl not to misbehave with police staff but their counselling too failed," she further said.

"As a result, the officers on the spot registered a case on both of them for obstruction of duties of the public servant and disobedience of Disaster Management Act. Two woman police staff tried to take the girl into custody but she refused to cooperate and a struggle took place between police staff and the girl," she added.

"The selective clip of arresting the girl was latched onto by certain sections of media and brought out in public domain without eliciting the true facts and sequence of events thereby portraying police department in poor light.

It is informed that police personnel followed the due process of law and showed utmost restraint in their conduct. The same is substantiated by the other videos available on record and clearly endorses the actions of the policemen on duty were bonafide and in good stead," the police said.

(ANI)