BENGALURU:
In a shameful incident reported on Monday, Two youngsters were allegedly manhandled, one of them thrashed, by the BBMP staff, for refusing to get tested for COVID-19.
Following criticism on social media, Police have registered suo moto FIR against the alleged errant BBMP officials.
As per the cops the beaten up youngster went to BBMP to get registered for vaccination, but was shocked when the OTP was generated and he realised the registration was for a COVID test which he did not want to take.
Random testing for covid19 leads to altercations in Bengaluru, BBMP officials seen manhandling a youth who refused to undergo a random #COVID19 test near nagarathpet. pic.twitter.com/FGcLXj8wUv
— Deepak Bopanna (@dpkBopanna) May 24, 2021
This led to an argument between him and the civic staff and the other youngster, who was present, joined in in the heated exchanges and the assault on them ensued. The purported video of the incident has gone viral on social media platforms, drawing flak from citizens, forcing BBMP Commissioner Gaurav Gupta to express regret.
“We regret the incident at Nagarathpet testing booth.There is no question of forceful testing. We condemn any physical altercation that has happened. Enquiry will be conducted to find out what led to this, who is responsible, and also to prevent any such recurrence,” Gupta tweeted.
We regret the incident at Nagarathpet testing booth. There is no question of forceful testing.
— Gaurav Gupta,IAS (@BBMPCOMM) May 24, 2021
We condemn any physical altercation that has happened. Enquiry would be conducted to find out what led to this, who is responsible, and also to prevent any such recurrence.
In the video of the incident that took place near Dharmarayaswamy Temple at Nagarathpet of central Bengaluru, two men, who are said to be staff attached to the civic body, deployed for COVID-testing, can be manhandling two youngsters, forcing them to undergo an RT-PCR test. Later, one of them can be seen thrashing one of the youngsters by pushing him to the ground.
Police said they on their own registered an FIR against the alleged errant officials. One of the youngsters is said to have mistook the testing booth set up there for vaccination and registered himself, and when the OTP was generated, he realised it was for COVID-test and refused to undergo it.
DCP central MN Anucheth said: “Daily, BBMP officials from Dasappa BBMP Hospital conduct Covid testing on Nagaratpete Main Road. Today, a person by name Kishan, mistook it for vaccination and registered himself. When the OTP was generated, he realised it was for Covid testing and not for vaccination and therefore refused to undergo the test. At this juncture he was assaulted by a BBMP Booth level officer by name Nagabhushan. Suo moto FIR under sections 341, 323, 504 of IPC against errant official.”
