U.P. villages tense as many skip quarantine

04/04/2020

Eye in the sky: A policewoman testing a drone used to check gathering of groups during the lockdown in Prayagraj on Friday. APAP

The administration has taken action against such persons in across districts including Hathras, Sultanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Rae Bareli, Sitapur, and Azamgarh. Returning workers are being kept in primary schools or other buildings outside villages for a designated period before being allowed home.

In Rae Bareli on Thursday, an FIR was lodged against nine persons in Kubna village in Maharajganj tehsil for escaping the isolation centre built inside the local primary school.

In Rae Bareli, the district magistrate also ordered FIRs against 19 persons in Salon, Deeh and Nasirabad areas for escaping the quarantine centres and not following “quarantine norms.”

Hathras police officials on Thursday evening said they had lodged a case against 29 persons under Sections 269 and 270 of the IPC and Section 4 of the Epidemic Diseases Act for allegedly escaping the quarantine centre in Sarabar village in Sadabad.

Thirty-five persons were kept at the quarantine centre with some of them coming there recently after the huge influx of migrants fleeing home from cities like Delhi.

Police brutality

In Lakhimpur Kheri district, police are probing the death of a 25-year-old Dalit man Roshan who was found hanging in the fields of his village Thariya Pipriya on March 31 three days after he returned home from Gurgaon where he worked in a power tower firm. His family alleged that he was threatened and badly thrashed by policemen for allegedly escaping from the local quarantine centre, following which he hung himself.

Roshan had left the quarantine centre after his sister-in-law asked him to go to local flour mill to grind the grains, his brother Sipahilal said in his police complaint.

Superintendent of Police, Lakhimpur Kheri, Poonam said Roshan was not present at the quarantine centre when the verification was going on. “He was roaming outside the village,” she said, adding that policemen of Maigalganj had an altercation with him. Both constables have been sent to the police lines while a circle officer is probing the matter, Ms. Poonam added.

Conflicting statements

While Roshan’s family alleged that he had fractured his arm in the police assault and received other injuries, Kheri police said in a statement that no such injury was found in the autopsy and that the reason of death was hanging.

Kranti Kumar Singh, a political activist associated with the Samajwadi Party, questioned the credibility of the police probe saying they did not file any FIR against the constables. Mr. Singh said locals had a video footage showing injury marks on Roshan’s body. “He left hand was fractured and had swelling marks on his hip and right hand. That’s why he wasn’t cremated but buried so that a fresh autopsy can take place through a court order after the lockdown phase,” Mr. Singh said.

Awanish Awasthi, additional chief secretary home, said 40-50 persons had also left the quarantine centre in Hapur, adding that action would be taken against officials for laxity.

‘Practise yoga’

Mr. Awasthi appealed people to not leave the quarantine centres unnecessarily, saying it was in their interest, and even suggested that people can pass time by practicing yoga.

Briefing media on Friday, Mr. Awasthi also said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath instructed that the district police chief and district magistrate would be held accountable and action be taken against the concerned karmacharis if people escape from the quarantine centres.