Few people with valid reasons not allowed to move on roads in Patna

PATNA: There are certain cases of police high-handedness reported from some parts of the state to enforce complete lockdown.
The plea of Dilip Kumar Mishra of Bajidpur in Vaishali district to the police to allow him to go to Tajpur in neighbouring Samastipur district for medicines for his ailing father Prabhakar Mishra fell on deaf ears. Though Mishra (34) showed the doctor’s prescription, a police constable, who had intercepted his motorbike on the deserted Mahua-Tajpur road, turned down his request and said, “Hume kisi bhi halat mein lockdown enforce karne ka aadesh mila hai (I have been assigned the task to enforce the lockdown at any cost).” A shocked Mishra returned home.
Mishra’s is not an isolated case.Cops in Sitamarhi caned a few youths after they were to sit in on the road for moving near Dumra. “I was thrashed by the policemen while returning home with some essential goods from a nearby grocery shop on my motorbike,” said one of the victims, Santosh Kumar.
Santosh’s friend Golden Kumar was penalized for not carrying the documents of his motorbike and had to pay a fine of Rs500. “People are being harassed by the policemen in the name of complete lockdown. It’s true some people are violating the restrictions, but all are not defaulters,” Golden, who worked at a private hospital in Sitamarhi, said.
In fact, senior police officers had given a dressing-down to cops manning police stations after CM Nitish Kumar received complaints of laxity in enforcing the lockdown on Monday. As a result, the SPs and DSPs were spotted moving on the roads and trying to convince people to remain indoors during the lockdown.
In Gopalganj, SP Manoj Kumar Tiwari stepped out of his office to ensure that his subordinates in the district, close to Uttar Pradesh border, were enforcing the lockdown completely.
On Tuesday, a close relative of a coronavirus suspect was penalized by the cops of Dehri Town police station in Rohtas district. “Police are minting money under the garb of invoking lockdown,” the victim’s brother, Shailendra, said.
Additional director general (headquarters) Jitendra Kumar said instructions had been issued to the SPs and the officers in field to enforce lockdown, but it didn’t mean that people should be harassed. “Those found to be roaming aimlessly on roads are supposed to face legal action. One should have valid reason for stepping out of home during lockdown,” he said.
According to a report issued by the police headquarters, 41 FIRs were registered and Rs15,87,800 was realized as fine from those violating the provisions of lockdown across the state on Wednesday. Besides, nine people were arrested and 531 vehicles were seized, the report says.