BELAGAVI: Despite a stringent law to protect Asha workers and other Corona Warriors from attacks by the public, such incidents continue to be reported from across the state. In the latest incident from Maranhol village in Belagavi taulk, a Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) and other officials were allegedly attacked by eight people, including four under institutional quarantine.
Following a complaint, the Kakati police booked a case against eight people and arrested Bharama Patil from the village. The four who are in quarantine will be arrested after they complete their quarantine period, while the search is on for three others who escaped.
Twenty-four people, who had returned to the village from Mumbai on May 15 and 16, were kept in institutional quarantine at a government school in the village. Among them, 10 tested positive for Covid-19. As a precautionary measure, officials quarantined 22 others, who were primary and secondary contacts of the infected persons.
When task force members went to collect throat swabs, the quarantined persons raised objection. When officials tried to convince them, the villagers, both men and women, attacked the officials, tore their clothes and pelted them with stones.
Hosa Vantamuri Gram Panchayat Development Officer Prashant Munavalli, village accountant Prashant Nesaragi and staff of the health and family welfare departments were injured in the incident. Belagavi Tahsildar RK Kulkarni, Taluk Medical Officer Sanjeev Dummagol and Police Inspector Shrishail Koujalagi visited the village. Police personnel have been deployed in the village.