TUMAKURU: Not just the fear of coronavirus, a family returning from Maharashtra also allegedly had to answer uncomfortable questions about their caste and sub-sect, etc after reaching Karnataka. Health department officials reportedly grilled the family, from a Scheduled Caste, at Tiptur on Sunday before placing them under institutional quarantine. 45-year-old Murthy, who is the head of the family, said that he had overcome the caste feeling after he settled down in Mumbai some years ago. As Maharashtra is reporting a flurry of Covid-19 cases, Murthy and his family decided to move to their hometown.
“The officials visited our house, though we had home quarantined ourselves. They took us out and took a photograph of the entire family. Then they wrote down our caste and insisted that I reveal my subsect. I was furious and put out a message on WhatsApp, which went viral,” Murthy told TNIE.
The family has now been placed under institutional quarantine along with 11 others at a hostel in Tiptur.
DHO Dr MB Nagendrappa said, “There are no instructions to take down the caste and sub-caste of people. We will take action against these officials.”