Despite quarantine, several attacked over fears of COVID-19 in Maharashtra

In two separate incidents of people reacting harshly due to the stigma related to COVID-19, angry villagers in Maharashtra's Hingoli district thrashed several people who had returned from other places, even though they had completed their prescribed 14-day quarantine period.

Hingoli (Maharashtra): In an unfortunate development, several people were injured after being thrashed by villagers over fears of COVID-19, in two separate incidents in Maharashtra's Hingoli district.

According to reports, a family from Hatta village in Wasmat Taluka had returned from Mumbai earlier in May. On the advice of the doctor, they had self-quarantined themselves at their farm situated at a distance from the village.

When their 14-day quarantine period got over on May 27, two people from the family finally got out and were sitting by the side of the road leading up to their field. It was then that two villagers who were passing by, hurled slurs at them and told them to return to their farm. Later, many villagers charged to the farm and got into a tiff with the family.

The angry villagers did not even spare a pregnant woman, who was kicked on her abdomen.

Meanwhile, two counter complaints have been filed in the matter - one by the family against the villagers who attacked them, and the other by the villagers against the family.

In another similar incident, a man was brutally thrashed when he came out to fill water at a public well in Malhiwara village.

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According to reports, Muralidhar Bhokare's wife had returned to the village with their daughter a month ago from her hometown in Aurangabad. On the advice of doctors, the family quarantined themselves at a field.

As the 14-day quarantine period got over, Bhokare informed the Sarpanch and the Police, and decided to come back to the village. However, when he went to the public well in the village to fetch water, some villagers objected and started thrashing him. Bhokare was hit on the head and was bleeding profusely.

Further, when some others tried to intervene, even they were thrashed.

The four injured persons were taken to the district general hospital for treatment. However, as Bhokare's condition turned critical, he was asked to go to Nanded for treatment.

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