Coronavirus Outbreak: Police constable on lockdown duty attacked with stones in Madhya Pradesh's Indore; five arrested

Indore: A group of persons pelted stones at a police constable in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore district when he asked them to stay indoors to contain the spread of coronavirus, an official said on Wednesday. [caption id=“attachment_6757331” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Five people have been arrested in connection with the incident that took place in Chandan Nagar area in Indore on Tuesday evening, he said. A purported video of the incident also went viral on social media, in which the policeman was seen running to save himself from seven to eight people who were throwing stones and chasing him. One of the miscreants was seen picking up a stick while chasing the policeman. Superintendent of Police Mahesh Chandra Jain told PTI that when the constable asked some people out on streets to go back home, they started arguing and threw stones at him. The policeman then ran for his life and alerted his seniors following which additional force was rushed to the area, he said. Five people, identified as Javed (25), Imran Khan (24), Nasir Khan (58), Sali Khan (50) and Samir Anwar (22) were later arrested and booked under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 353 (assault of criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and other relevant provisions. “We are also recommending to the district administration to book Javed and Imran Khan under the National Security Act (NSA),” Jain said. Search was on for another absconding accused. This is the third incident in the state of attack on those at the forefront of the battle against coronavirus. Earlier, two policemen on lockdown enforcement duty were injured after a mob attacked them with knives and in Bhopal’s old city area on Monday night. On 1 April, two women doctors were injured after stones were pelted at them when they went to Tatpatti Bakhal area of Indore for contact tracing of COVID-19 patients. Indore, which is the worst affected with coronavirus in the state, is under curfew since 25 March.