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POLICE BRUTALITY & UNWARRANTED DEATHS DENT INDIA’S COVID-19 LOCKDOWN

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Table of Contents

  1. The lockdown count during the 1st week: Brutal assault of over 173 persons & at least 27 lockdown related deaths
  2. Emblematic cases of torture and inhumane and degrading treatment during the 1st week of the lockdown
  3. Details of 27 lockdown related deaths during the 1st week

1. The lockdown count during the 1st week: Brutal assault of at least 173 persons & at least 27 lockdown related deaths

In his address to the nation at 8 pm on 24 March 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared complete lockdown of the country to tackle spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) for a period of 21 days effective from midnight i.e. 25 March 2020 to 14 April 2020. This report examines the incidents of police brutality that has drawn national and international attention during the first week of the lockdown.

As the enforcement of lockdown begun, India witnessed brazen display of police brutality across the country, some of which were widely reported in social media and news media. After reviewing the videos and news reports, it can be safely stated that over 173 persons in 43 emblematic case studies involving 50 instances, excluding the victims in groups lathi-charged[1], were tortured/beaten up by the police and the Central Armed Police Forces during the first week of the lockdown. Those tortured include 63 persons in Assam followed by 32 in Punjab, 12 in Jammu and Kashmir, 10 each in Arunachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, 9 in Gujarat, 8 in Andhra Pradesh, 7 in Kerala, 4 in Uttar Pradesh, 3 each in Telangana and Maharashtra, 2 each in Delhi, Goa, Odisha and West Bengal, and 1 each in Bihar, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana. 

Most of the people were out to buy essential items like groceries, milk, medicines etc because of the abrupt declaration of the nation-wide lockdown or simply trying to escape to the villages in the wake of no food, job homes in metropolis. Even doctors who were going to duties to attend coronavirus patients were beaten up by the overzealous police.  The images of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment is a stark reminder of what goes on inside the four walls of police custody, while dealing with challenging law and order situations like riots or public protests, and or in insurgency situations by the police/security forces in India. 

On the very first day of the lockdown, a 32-year-old man identified as Lal Swami was allegedly beaten to death in Sankrail town in Howrah district, West Bengal when he went out to buy milk. The deceased’s wife alleged that her husband was among the crowd that the police baton-charged. Injured Lal Swami was taken to a local hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Apart from beating up, the police brutality and torture during the lockdown involved unprovoked firing by Bihar Police to extort bribe, making people hop like frogs in Goa and Assam, writing inscription on lockdown violation on migrant’s forehead in Madhya Pradesh, making people kneel down in Andhra Pradesh, making people rub their noses on the ground in Punjab, beating up youths by rotating the baton like a cop in the movies in Andhra Pradesh, making crawl as punishment in Uttar Pradesh, thrashing after chasing inside the house in Punjab and damaging vegetable carts in Delhi.

Those tortured and assaulted included a large number of persons who were providing essential services and exempted from the lockdown. These victims included Sonu Sah, who was shot at for not paying Rs 5,000 bribe in Bihar; Dr Aravind Ashok, in charge of COVID-19 isolation ward in Kasaragod, Kerala; husband of a pregnant women who had gone to fetch medicines in Punjab; electricity board employee G Madhava Raj who was returning home after repairing a transformer in Andhra Pradesh; a differently-abled man in Tamil Nadu;  fireman on duty Naresh Sharma of Punjab; Shaijan Joseph, employee of Eben Telecom, Kerala; NGO activist Sajjad of Access Foundation in Telangana; Priyanka Rathod, employed with the National Urban Health Mission in Maharashtra; Uttkarsh Chaturvedi, deputy news editor with ET Now in Maharastra; dialysis patient Nishal of Kerala; a jockey of the All India Radio etc.

Incidents of police brutality were reported from across the length and breadth of the country from Arunachal Pradesh in the East to Gujarat in the West, from Jammu and Kashmir in the North to Kerala  in the South.

In all the cases of assault and torture, there was no law and order issue except people out to buy essentials, or simply trying to escape from metropolitan cities due to insecurity of housing, food and job. They were locked up, like in Siwan, Bihar due to lack of transport to reach their home  or bleached with Sodium Hypochloride on 30 March 2020 at Bareilly district in Uttar Pradesh.

At least 27 persons died in 11 lockdown related incidents from 25 to 30 March 2020. These incidents include death of  four people after being caught in forest fire while escaping the main road closed due to the lockdown on 24 March night;  one Lal Swami, in alleged police beating in West Bengal on 25 March;  starvation death of an eight year old boy identified as Rakesh Musaha in Bihar on 26 March;  death of  eight migrant workers in Karnataka on the night of 27 March 2020 while returning home from Telangana;  death of 26-year-old migrant worker Nitin Kumar, who was walking to his native place at Rampur in Uttar Pradesh from Sonipat in Haryana, after being hit by a bus on 28 March;  death of 62-year-old man Gangaram Yelenge in Surat, Gujarat after walking from a hospital to his house after finding no vehicle due to the lockdown on 28 March;  death of four migrant workers after being hit by a tempo in Palghar on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway while returning home after lockdown on 28 March;  death of Ranveer Singh after walking almost 200 kilometers from Delhi while trying to reach his home in Morena, Madhya Pradesh on 28 March;  death of four persons after being run over by a vehicle on Kundli–Manesar–Palwal (KMP) Expressway in Nuh, Haryana while returning home amid coronavirus lockdown on 29 March;  70-year-old woman named Pathunji of Karnataka, who after denial of permission to the ambulance to enter Karnataka on 29 March;  and death of Aldrin Lyngdoh, hailing from Shillong in Meghalaya, who committed suicide in Agra on 31 March blaming the lockdown and his landlady.

On the other hand, only 22 persons had died due to COVID-19 from 25 to 31 March 2020[2]. It is clear that more persons have died in lock-down related incidents than actual COVID-19 during the period.

Police brutality reached such proportion that on 26 March 2020 Kerala High Court Judge, Justice Devan Ramachandran wrote to the Director General of Police, Loknath Behra to direct the officers not to use force against the violators of lockdown unless it is absolutely essential, that too only to the extent necessary.[3] On 30 March 2002, the Kerala High Court took suo motu cognisance of reports of police brutality against those breaking the lockdown norms, stating that it cannot allow fundamental rights of citizens to be infringed.[4]

The State and police officials promised to take departmental action in a number of cases but these are not enough. Neither these brutalities by the police can be dismissed as instances of “few bad apples”.

COVID-19 must be defeated and it is the responsibility of each and every person to cooperate with the measures taken by the Government of India and the State governments. However, brutalities by the police are illegal and unlawful and dent the entire efforts by the people of India. The authorities must order the registration of criminal cases where penal offences of bodily harm and injuries were caused. This also calls for enactment of a national law against torture which successive governments have refused to enact as on date.

2. Emblematic cases of torture and inhumane and degrading treatment during the 1st week of the lockdown

The National Campaign Against Torture (NCAT) monitored the incidents and based on the review of  the videos and news reports, it can be safely stated that a minimum of 173 persons in 43 cases studies involving 50 instances, excluding the victims lathi-charged in groups, were tortured/beaten up by the police and the Central Armed Police Forces during the first week of the lockdown. Those tortured include 63 persons in Assam followed by 32 in Punjab, 12 in Jammu and Kashmir, 10 each in Arunachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, 9 in Gujarat, 8 in Andhra Pradesh, 7 in Kerala, 4 in Uttar Pradesh, 3 each in Telangana and Maharashtra, 2 each in Delhi, Goa, Odisha and West Bengal, and 1 each in Bihar, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.

Case 1: Lal Swami dies due to alleged police torture in West Bengal

On 25 March 2020, Lal Swami (32 years) died after he was allegedly beaten by the police while out to buy milk during the nationwide coronavirus lockdown in Banipur locality in Howrah district, West Bengal. The deceased’s wife alleged that her husband was among the crowd that the police baton-charged. Injured Lal Swami was taken to a local hospital where doctors pronounced his death.[5]

Case 2:  Woman police officer canes a health worker and her dad in Maharashtra

On 25 March 2020, a female health department assistant and her father were thrashed by a woman Assistant Sub Inspector Prabha Pundge who was leading a team of personnel who were enforcing the ongoing lockdown in Hingoli district of Maharashtra. The health assistant, identified as Priyanka Rathod (30 years), suffered a head injury and had to be given five stitches. Rathod is currently on deputation as a surveyor for the novel coronavirus spread in urban Hingoli division and is employed with the National Urban Health Mission. She was returning home with her father on their motorcycle after completing her work when the incident took place. Hingoli Superintendent of Police Yogesh Kumar issued directives for the registration of a case against the woman assistant inspector.[6]

Case 3: Sukhdev Singh thrashed by police in Amritsar, Punjab

On 25 March 2020, Sukhdev Singh was thrashed by the police when he went outside with his 8-month-old pregnant wife, Renu Bala, to get medicines for her. Renu Bala accused two policemen of thrashing her husband when they went outside to get medicine for her. The cops even chased her husband to his house in Sultanwind Road area. The incident was captured in CCTV cameras. Sukhdev suffered an injury in his nose and was admitted to hospital. Confirming the incident, Police Commissioner Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill stated that the incident was brought to his notice and action had been initiated against the accused cops.[7]

Case 4: TV journalist beaten up by police in Maharashtra

On 25 March 2020, Uttkarsh Chaturvedi, deputy news editor with ET Now, a leading business news channel, alleged that he was beaten up by policemen while reporting on lockdown in Thane district. The incident took place near Dahisar Check Post in western suburbs which falls under the jurisdiction of the Thane Rural police. He claimed that he showed his press card, but that did not stop the police from hitting him with sticks. The media was exempted from restrictions put in place under the nationwide lockdown clamped to contain the spread of coronavirus.  The incident came to light when Chaturvedi tweeted his ordeal and tagged the Mumbai police and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on their Twitter handles. He alleged that he was reporting from his bike ahead of Dahisar Check Naka when four or five policemen hit him.[8]

Case 5: Dialysis patient beaten by police in Kerala

On 25 March 2020, 28-year-old Nishal, a dialysis patient in Kannur’s Thalassery was beaten up by the police. He was on his way back home from the dialysis unit on a two-wheeler when he was stopped by the police near Koduvalli. He was allegedly beaten even before he could explain why he was on the road. When he complained about the incident at the Thalassery police station, the police asked him why he didn’t take a taxi to go.  In his Facebook post, Nishal had written, “Honorable chief minister, majority of people in Kerala are cooperating with social distancing and lockdown. But the police action on people who go out for meeting urgent requirements without any enquiry must be rectified. I have a kidney disease, and I was beaten by Thalassery police brutally on my way back from dialysis. You must take action after examining my documents. Do not deter, but stay with us.”  Nishal filed a complaint to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Health Minister KK Shailaja, and Kannur district collector Subhash.[9]

Case 6:  Delhi police constable suspended for damaging vegetable carts

On 25 March 2020, a video surfaced wherein a police constable identified as Rajbir posted at Anand Parbat Police Station was seen allegedly damaging vegetable carts during the lockdown. In the short clip which went viral, the constable can be seen overturning three vegetable carts one by one.  Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava confirmed the incident and stated that he had received reports of “misconduct” by some personnel with essential services staffers. The police constable was suspended on 26 March 2020 over the incident.[10]

The video is available at: https://twitter.com/CoronaUpdatesIn/status/1243075155418427392

Case 7: Delivery executives and sanitation workers harassed by police in Gurugram, Haryana

On 25 March 2020, delivery personnel of online companies faced harassment throughout Gurugram despite the government’s assurance, forcing many firms to temporarily suspend their operations. A local farmer and marketer who supplies dairy items and vegetables straight from the farm claimed that his vehicle wasn’t allowed to enter the city. He also claimed that a ‘drunk’ cop had stopped him on the night of 24 March when he was coming from the farm with vegetables and harassed him.[11]

Case 8: Delhi Police beat up meat shop owner in Delhi

A video posted online on 25 March 2020 shows police men up beating meat shop owners and forcing them shut down the shops. The incident captured in the video that went vital allegedly happened in Jamia Nagar, Delhi. The owner of Parvez Mutton shop is seen being beaten up by a police personal with a baton. The police harassed the meat shop owner for keeping his shop open on the day of the lockdown despite the Delhi government’s announcement that all essential services including shops that sell meat, fish, milk and other food items will remain open through this period. The meat shop owner Parvez alleged that police came and forced him to shut while nearby milk shops were allowed to remain open.[12]

The video is available at: https://twitter.com/i/status/1242749957355921409


Case 9: Police beat up residents stepping out to buy groceries, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

On 25 March 2020, several Chennai residents complained that they were abused and harassed and in some cases even hit by the police for stepping out to buy groceries, medicines and other essentials during the first few days of the lockdown.

A medical doctor driving a scooter was beaten with a lathi by a police officer before he could reveal that his identity.

A resident of Adambakkam, Srini Swaminathan, said that he was scared to go to buy vegetables anymore after his experience with the police on 25 March 2020 morning near Balaji Nagar Main road junction at Adambakkam where he was threatened with slapping of a case against him if they see him again.

Subhash V, a sales assistant at a TUCS ration shop, alleged that he was asked to pay a bribe of Rs. 100 for stepping out when he was going from Tambaram to Keelkatalai, near Gurukulam signal. He also claimed that one of his colleagues was beaten up even before he could show them his ID.[13]

Case 10: Police make migrant workers crawl in Badaun, UP

On 25 March 2020, News agency, ANI reported incident of police brutality in Badaun in Uttar Pradesh where policemen made four migrant workers who were walking towards their native places to crawl with their backpacks on as a punishment for violating lockdown.[14] In the video, the police officer was seen forcing a group of migrant workers to hop down a main road with bags strapped to their backs. The migrant workers were returning home amid the lockdown. They were caught by the police, who refused to listen to their pleas and were humiliated by being made to hop and crawl in this heat. Ashok Kumar Tripathi, senior superintendent of police, Badaun confirmed the incident and apologised. He said that an inquiry had been initiated against the official involved.[15]

This video is available at: https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1243141336800415744

 


Another video of the incident is available at: https://twitter.com/SadanandanAnoop/status/1243537160541810688

 


Case 11:  North Delhi resident Mohan Rastogi assaulted by police

On 25 March 2020, The Telegraph reported that Mohan Rastogi, a resident of North Delhi  was alleged assaulted  by the police when he went out to buy essentials. He alleged that two constables slapped him for no reason when they found him out buying groceries. He further alleged that when he confronted them they verbally abused him and even threatened to drag him to police station.[16]

Case 12: Assault on Bilal Ahmed Wani in Jammu and Kashmir

On 25 March 2020, Bilal Ahmed Wani, a 30-year-old resident of Seer Jagir village in Baramulla district, was assaulted by the police. Wani works at the Jammu and Kashmir government’s department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs – which ensures distribution of essential commodities such as rice, wheat, sugar and kerosene oil under the public-distribution system – as an assistant store keeper and clerk. Wani was on his way to his workplace on his scooty when a group of around six policemen intercepted him near Rabban and started beating him with lathis. Despite his plea that he was an employee of the department that provides essential services, he was not spared. He even showed his identity card to the police but they did not relent.[17]

Case 13: Alleged highhandedness of police in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

On 26 March 2020, Police in Coimbatore reportedly clamped down on newspaper agents, food delivery agents, milk vendors and even people who came out for essential services.

A differently-abled man from R.S. Puram who had come out to buy medicine was chased and beaten up. Reportedly newspaper agents who supply various dailies were stopped by some police personnel who were on duty at places like R.S. Puram, Ramanathapuram, Singanallur and some parts of Coimbatore rural. A newspaper agent from R.S. Puram area alleged that the policeman raised lathi at him and warned that he should not be seen around.  J. James, Coimbatore District President of Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Micro Enterprises, was also harassed and abused and asked to return.[18]

Case 14: Fireman on duty ‘beaten up’ by Assistant Sub Inspector, Punjab

On 26 March 2020, a fireman identified as Naresh Sharma who was going to his office was allegedly beaten up an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) identified as Tarsem Singh with sticks at a checkpoint at Amritsar in Punjab. The victim was stopped near the Gate Hakima by cops and when he told that he was going to his office, the policemen said he was not allowed to move on the road. Despite showing his curfew pass, he was allegedly thrashed with sticks by ASI Tarsem Singh. Naresh suffered an injury on his wrist and there was a whipping mark on his back. Fire brigade officials demanded immediate suspension of the ASI and registration of a case against him. The Gate Hakima police station officials have reportedly written to the Police Commissioner recommending immediate suspension of the ASI.[19]

Case 15: Cops beat up Eben Telecom employee, Kochi, Kerala

On 26 March 2020, Shaijan Joseph, a driver with Eben Telecom, a call centre provider for leading companies such as Vodafone and Idea, was beaten up by officers of Aroor police station. The victim, a driver of Eben Telecom, a call centre provider for leading companies such as Vodafone and Idea, was trashed by the police when he went to hand over a computer to one of the firm’s staff at Aroor.

Sam Thomas, managing director, Eben Telecom stated that a police jeep stopped Shaijan at Aroor and the driver of the Aroor police station came out and smashed the side-view mirror (wing mirror) of the vehicle. The shattered glass hit Shaijan’s eyes.

It was alleged that though Shaijan showed all the documents, including his ID card, the self-declaration form and the request typed on the telecom firm’s letterhead, the policemen did not listen and hit Shaijan below the knee with a rod.  Though telecom has been declared an essential service exempted during the lockdown, the police paid no heed.[20]

Case 16: Tenkasi’s biggest vegetable market shut down due police violence, Tamil Nadu

On 26 March 2020, vegetable traders were forced to shut down the Pavoorchatram market in Tenkasi district after the district police beat the farmers transporting their produce. The Pavoorchatram market is one of the biggest markets in the district, and the shutdown may cause a shortage of vegetables in both Tenkasi district and Kerala. President of Market Traders Association R K Kalithasan said that the police restrictions imposed on the farmers forced them to shut the market down. Kalithasan added that the traders would reopen the market only if the district administration would give an assurance that the police would not beat the farmers and the market workers. He alleged that even he was stopped from entering the market on 26 March 2020.[21]

Case 17: NGO workers beaten up while helping poor in Hyderabad, Telangana

On 26 March 2020, at least two well-known social workers from the Old City area were beaten up by the police. The first case was reported from Shastripuram, where activist Sajjad was thrashed by the police. The photos of injury marks on his body emerged on the social media which showed the extent of trauma faced by the victim. Maria Tabassum, a member of Access Foundation stated that a social worker had gone to their area to help them prepare for the lockdown period when he was thrashed by the police. Volunteers from Society for Cyberabad Security Council, who were also helping the poor by providing them food, had to take the help of police to hand out food packets to the needy.[22]

Case 18:  Manipur Police officer suspended for thrashing the public

On 26 March 2020, a police officer identified as W Suresh Singh, an Assistant Sub-Inspector- posted at Thoubal police station in Manipur, had allegedly assaulted the public without enquiring where they were going to during the lockdown period at Yairipok Lamkhai. He was suspended for committing gross misconduct to the public.[23]

Case 19: SHO threatens to ‘shoot down’ people, gets suspended in Madhya Pradesh

On 26 March 2020, a station house officer (SHO) posted at the Mahidpur Police Station in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain posted a message in one of the WhatsApp groups, saying, “Log Maan Jayen, Apne Gharon Me Rahen, Nahin Tau Main Ek Sharp Shooter Hoon. Saat second Me Tapka Dunga. Aap Log Mujhe Yaad Rakhoge”. (People should remain indoors, else I would shoot them dead. I am a sharp shooter and would take barely seven seconds to shoot anyone down”). The threat was issued from SHO’s personal mobile phone number. He was suspended on 27 March 2020.[24]

Case 20: Videos of police atrocities in Golaghat Assam

On 26 March 2020, Congress legislator and leader of the opposition in Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia wrote to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on alleged atrocities committed by the police on people during the ongoing lockdown. He brought to Sonowal’s notice several news reports and videos showing police personnel assaulting and harassing people who had ventured out during the 21-day nationwide lockdown. At least three videos were reviewed for this report.

The video is available at https://twitter.com/NANDANPRATIM/status/1243562621363785728

 


On 30 March 2020, DY365, a leading Assamese news channel broadcasted a video of a policeman whacking three Adivasi women in Golaghat district of eastern Assam. In the video, two women, seen carrying vegetables on a bicycle, are stopped, abused and beaten with a stick by the enraged policeman, allegedly for “violating” the ongoing lockdown. A little later, the policeman walked ahead and assaulted woman carrying firewood from a field. The channel’s reporter Joydeep Gupta identified the policeman in the video as Sub Inspector Robin Kalita, head of the Bogijan police station. An official confirmed the incident and stated that the police officer in concerned had been given a stern warning. Reportedly, a complaint has been filed against the police officer.[25]

The video is available at https://twitter.com/bora_ujjal/status/1244600648139563008


Another video is available at https://twitter.com/NANDANPRATIM/status/1242818171469475840


Case 21: Men beaten up by police at Bharat Mata Chowk, Jammu & Kashmir

On 26 March 2020, at least ten persons were allegedly beaten up by a group of around five policemen armed with batons at Bharat Mata Chowk in Jammu. They were allegedly hit with lathis and forced to sit on the road. Thereafter, one policeman walked around the men and directed them to repeat each sentence he said which included “We’re enemies of the society”, “We’re enemies of the police”, “We’re enemies of the country”, and “We’re enemies of Modi sahib”. The police have justified the police action.[26]

Case 22:  Chairman of Block Development Council beaten up in Jammu and Kashmir

On 26 March 2020, Mohammad Yaseen Sheikh, the chairman of the Block Development Council in Vilgam area, Kupwara district was arrested by the police.  Sheikh claimed that he was returning home from the local primary health centre in Vilgam when police stopped him and started beating him. He was dragged out of his car and then taken to the police station. He alleged that the police did not even look at his identity card.  The victim alleged that he was not given food in the police lock up and was not allowed to meet family members. He further alleged that even his children were harassed. He was released on bail two days later.[27]

Case 23:  Man beaten by police, Andhra Pradesh

On 27 March 2020, a video surfaced in social media in which a Sub-Inspector (SI) identified as Kiran Kumar in West Godavari district was seen hurling abuses and beating a man for reportedly violating the 14-day quarantine period. The SI also asked the man to kneel down as punishment for attempting to spread coronavirus. The man had reportedly returned from Dubai and had been ordered to stay in home quarantine for 14 days. Police had arrived to escort the man to an isolation centre after he was found to have violating the home quarantine period.  Following massive criticism online, State Home Minister Mekathoti Sucharitha announced that the SI had been suspended from services on 26 March 2020.[28]

The video is available at https://twitter.com/i/status/1243189254114570242


Case 24: Policemen beat up doctor for going to work during lockdown in Tamil Nadu

In a video that surfaced on 26 March 2020, a Chennai cop is seen beating up a man on a two-wheeler scooter with a stick and asking him to go home. The person wearing a mask then explains that he is a doctor going to do his duty at his hospital to help patients suffering from coronavirus and other ailments.[29]

Video is available at: https://twitter.com/i/status/1243075955922333696


Case 25: Sonu Sah, a driver of vehicle carrying potatoes shot at by Bihar cops

On 27 March 2020, the Indian Express reported that the Patna police arrested three constables for shooting at Sonu Sah, a driver of a pick-up van carrying potato and demanding Rs 5,000 bribe from him to allow the vehicle to ply amidst the lockdown. Mr. Sah was bringing potato from the riverine belt to Danapur town. He was shot in his leg after an argument with three policemen near Patna. Sah was admitted to the Patna Medical College and Hospital, and the three police constables were reportedly booked for attempt to murder and extortion. The Bihar Truck Owners Association (BTOA) has alleged that policemen at several checkposts across the state were stopping trucks carrying essential items and demanding bribes to release them.[30]

Case 26: Dr Aravind Ashok, in charge of COVID-19 isolation ward and others thrashed in Kasaragod district, Kerala

On 27 March 2020, one Dr Aravind Ashok was thrashed with a baton by the police enforcing the lockdown at Vidyanagar in Kasaragod district of Kerala. He had stepped out of his home to buy baby food for his one-year-old son around 11am before going for duty at Primary Health Centre in Badiadka where he is in charge of the isolation ward where six Covid-19 cases were under observation. It was alleged that some nurses and other paramedical professionals too were not spared by the police.[31]

Case 27:  Husband beaten by cop while returning after dropping doctor wife to work, Kerala

On 27 March 2020, a man was beaten up by the police while returning after dropping his doctor wife to her work at Sreekaryam police station in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.  The man was in his car when he was allegedly stopped by the inspector and beaten up. The victim filed a complaint and a probe was initiated against the officer.  State Police Chief Loknath Behera stated that action would be taken against cops misusing power and misbehaving in public.[32]

Case 28:  Viral videos expose brutality by Punjab Police

On 27 March 2020, at least six videos of Punjab Police personnel thrashing people moving around during the lockdown to buy essential items like milk, rice and vegetables have gone viral on the social media. Incidentally, most of these videos have been filmed by the police to shame the people flouting the curfew and to create fear among people. In three videos a police team led by a non gazetted officer could be seen thrashing three people separately on a street against the backdrop of an official Scorpio vehicle with Mohali registered number plate. In one video, they badly thrashed a man carrying a wheat bag and other items on his scooter. The same team was seen thrashing another biker who was apparently taking milk home. In the third video, police personnel were seen beating up a motorist. In a few other videos police were also seen humiliating people by making them to rub their noses on the ground.

One video is available at https://twitter.com/Anmol65723211/status/1243737266649845761


In an incident in Amritsar a pregnant woman claimed that she and her husband were not allowed to fetch medicines and police slapped her husband and chased them to their house and again thrashed him, leaving him with fractured nose. The CCTV footage of the incident had also gone viral. In Amritsar, a fire wing personnel Naresh Sharma was thrashed by police at Hakiman Wala Gate when he was going to work even after he showed his identity card. He too suffered fracture in his arm. In another video, an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) was seen thrashing a youth with his baton while a constable repeatedly hit him with a slipper on his head as the youth pleads for mercy. After this, the two police officials thrash another youth who was caught by men in civvies.[33]

In a video circulated online by Gurpreet Singh Dhillon, a Sikh of Indian origin who is Regional Councilor of the city of Brampton in the UK, police in Punjab can be seen forcing young and old to do squat while chanting “We are enemies of society. We cannot sit at home” for alleged violation of the lockdown.

The video is available at: https://twitter.com/gurpreetdhillon/status/1242486015308300288


In another video, three youths were forced to roll over on the road while the police threatened to hit them with their sticks.

The said video is available at: https://twitter.com/gurpreetdhillon/status/1242497618535755777


In another video, two policemen were seen beating two youths on a scooter with sticks while enforcing the lockdown.

The said video is available at: https://twitter.com/gurpreetdhillon/status/1242493616989315072


In another video shared on 25 March 2020, police were seen slapping youths with chappal (slippers) and hitting with lathis all over the body including on their feet. The said video is available at: https://twitter.com/arsh_kaur7/status/1242880843648864256


In one video shared by The Indian Express, Punjab Police forced two men do sit ups in Malerkotla. The said video is available at: https://twitter.com/IndianExpress/status/1242337139267760129


Case 29: Electricity board employee returning after repairing transformer assaulted by police in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh

On 27 March 2020, a video showed an electricity board employee identified as G Madhava Raj claiming that he was beaten up by the police at Gollapudi in Vijayawada district, Andhra Pradesh while returning home after repairing a transformer. He threatened to boycott work if they are ill-treated.[34]

Case 30: Radio jokey detained and harassed by police in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

On 27 March 2020, a radio jockey (RJ) working for All India Radio (AIR) was detained by III Town police in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.  He was on his way to work at around 5 pm, when a constable stopped his bike at Siripuram junction. According to the RJ, the cop seized his mobile phone and identity card and took him to the police station. The RJ was detained for over two hours and was not allowed to seek help. A senior employee with AIR alleged that despite being exempted under the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), the AIR employees were harassed by the police.[35]

Case 31:  Journalists and youths thrashed in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh

On 27 March 2020, several images and videos emerged of people being assaulted by police for violating lockdown across Vijayawada and Krishna districts on 26 March 2020. One of the videos shot by a local youth showed police personnel in Vijayawada caning youngsters loitering around the streets.  The police then forced them to do sit-ups on the road for violating the national curfew. The police also lathi-charged and thrashed journalists at Hanuman Junction in Krishna district. Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Minister Perni Nani confirmed the incidents and assured to take action against Eluru Deputy Superintendent of Police.[36]

Case 32:  Sub-Inspector suspended for thrashing youngsters during lockdown, Andhra Pradesh

On 27 March 2020, Vara Prasad, a sub-inspector of police posted at Kapada police station under in Kadapa district, thrashed youngsters who crossed his path during lockdown being observed in the state of Andhra Pradesh. A video of him beating the youths went viral on social media. Confirming the incident, Superintendent of Police, Kadapa, KKN Amburajan issued order of suspension of the Sub-Inspector of police. The locals alleged that the police officer abused many people and beaten the youngster mercilessly for violating the lockdown. Ironically, some of the police personnel video-graphed while the SI thrashed the youths with a cane. The video shows him rotating the baton like a cop in the movies, while thrashing the youngsters and beating them with the lathi.[37]

Case 33: Indian Reserve Battalion constables suspended for beating up migrant workers in Arunachal Pradesh

On 27 March 2020, three Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBn) constables were suspended after a video clip emerged in social media showing them beating up three men with a lathi for being outside during the ongoing nationwide lockdown. Two suspended constables were identified as Chera Tadup and Tako Tame. The incident took place at Bihari Basti near the Gumto railway station in Papum Pare district. State’s Director General of Police RP Upadhyaya confirmed the incident and stated that action was initiated on the basis of the video clip.[38]

Case 34: Bhairon Lal Lohar brutally beaten up by Gujarat Police

On 27 March 2020, ABP Live reported that a Thane based furniture dealer identified as Bhairon Lal Lohar, was brutally beaten up by Gujarat Police officers when he stepped out of his home to attend his mother’s funeral. The victim received news of his mother’s death on 25 March who passed away in a village in Rajasthan. Bhairon was the only son of his mother and therefore he had to attend the funeral. In order to facilitate his travel amidst the lockdown, he obtained the necessary permission from the local police to leave the city. However, when he reached Gujarat-Maharashtra border the police officials stopped him at the border and brutally beat him up despite showing the necessary permission and other evidences.[39]

Case 35: SSCL worker beaten by police in Telangana

On the night of 28 March 2020, Mukkera Ravi, a worker of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) was allegedly beaten up by the police while he was returning home from duty. He was stopped by the police at the Subhash Nagar check post while returning. Though Ravi told them that he is worker with the SCCL and showed the ID card the policemen did not relent. He was abused and beaten by the police, which left him with bruises on his buttocks and waist.[40]

Case 36: 25-year-old woman stripped by BSF in West Bengal

On 28 March 2020, the personnel of Border Security Forces allegedly assaulted and stripped a 25-year-old woman at the Hatkhola village under Chapra police station of Nadia district of West Bengal. The incident took place when the security forces were trying to enforce the nationwide lockdown. The villagers alleged that the security forces were taking advantage of lockdown to torture the innocent villagers. The next day the villagers staged a protest in front of the BSF personnel but the BSF resorted to lathi charge and fired in air in which Miajan Sha (55 years) was injured.[41]

Case 37: Police brutality on 8 Dalits for allegedly breaking the lockdown in Gujarat

On 28 March 2020, eight Dalit men were picked up from their homes at Vikaliya village in Botad district of Gujarat. They were taken to Dhhasa police station and falsely booked for violating the lockdown. They were allegedly tortured by police in custody. The victims were allegedly picked up after a boy from the locality allegedly violated the lockdown on 25 March. The boy was warned and also beaten. Two days later, a police team arrived and picked up the eight victims.[42]

Case 38:  Police beat up farmer beaten up in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh

In a video shared on 28 March 2020, the police allegedly beat a farmer for selling milk in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.  He could be seen bleeding profusely and crying in pain.

The video is available at:  https://youtu.be/wpvLVcNzh-w

Case 39: Cop writes lockdown violation on migrant’s forehead, Madhya Pradesh

On 29 March 2020, a video of a Madhya Pradesh police officer writing “Maine lockdown ka ullanghan kiya hai, mujhse door rahna (I have violated lockdown restrictions, keep away from me),” on the forehead of a labourer went viral on social media. The incident happened under the jurisdiction of Gaurihar Police Station in Chhatarpur district. Three labourers were returning from Uttar Pradesh when they were directed to the primary health centre by the police for medical examination. As they were waiting for a doctor, a senior inspector scolded them for violating the lockdown and wrote the inscription on one of the labourers’ forehead. The officer has reportedly been issued a show-cause notice.[43]

The video is available at: https://twitter.com/INCMP/status/1244072852573184001


Case 40: Four migrant workers beaten up by police at Kimin, Arunachal Pradesh

On 29 March 2020, a video surfaced from Arunachal Pradesh reportedly shot at Kimin in Papum Pare district showing four people being assaulted by the State Police. The police beat up three males with a stick, even as they tried to flee from the police, while a woman was made to sit holding her ears. They were reported to be migrant workers from Laluk in Assam.[44]

The video is available at https://twitter.com/DgpPradesh/status/1243382264592871424

Case 41:  Three tribal boys beaten up by CRPF in Lower Subansari, Arunachal Pradesh

On 29 March 2020, a video surfaced from Lower Subansiri HQ Ziro, showing CRPF personnel making three boys do pushups. One boy was seen being beaten with a lathi. All three victims were tribals. Lower Subansiri Superintendent of Police Hemant Tiwari confirmed the incident and stated that the incident occurred on 27 March in Gandhi market, and that inquiry was ongoing. He also stated that CCTV footages of the incident were being studied and assured necessary action against the guilty CRPF personnel.[45]

Case 42: CRPF officers hit people on the road with sticks, make them hop like frogs in Goa

On 30 March 2020, a video that appears to have been recorded from a balcony in Panaji in Goa showed the personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) hitting two persons on the road with sticks and forced them to hop like frogs.[46]

The video is available at https://www.instagram.com/p/B-UIsdanBlK/?utm_source=ig_embed

Case 43: Two police personnel suspended for thrashing public in Odisha

On 30 March 2020, the Kalinga TV reported that two police personnel were suspended for allegedly thrashing the public and forcing them to kneel down for defying the lockdown near Bhagirathi Chhak in Balangir district of Odisha. The two suspended constables of the Odisha State Armed Police (OSAP) were identified as Suryakanta Samantray and Pradyumna Samal. Balangir SP Madkar S Sampat confirmed that the two constables were suspended for “serious lapses” in duty during the ongoing nationwide lockdown.[47]

3. Details of 27 lockdown related deaths during the 1st week

Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who fled from metropolitan cities due to lack of housing, food and job faced the most serious violence from being locked up in Siwan, Bihar and Surat, Gujarat[48]  due to lack of transport to be sent to their homes[49] to being bleached with Sodium Hypochloride on 30 March 2020 at Bareilly district in Uttar Pradesh.[50]

On 30 March 2020, Prashant Kishore, a political leader, shared a video in which migrant workers who had walked hundreds of kilometers to reach their home state Bihar were locked up to be ‘quarantined’ in inhuman manner.

The video is available at  https://twitter.com/PrashantKishor/status/1244371433418936320


At least 27 persons died in lockdown related incidents from 25 to 30 March 2020 including death of  four people after being caught in forest fire while escaping the main road closed due to the lock down on 24 March night;[51] Lal Swami, in alleged police beating in West Bengal on 25 March;[52] starvation death of an eight year old boy identified as Rakesh Musaha in Bihar on 26 March;[53] death of  eight migrant workers in Karnataka on the night of 27 March 2020 while returning home from Telangana;[54] death of 26-year-old migrant worker Nitin Kumar, who was walking to his native place at Rampur in Uttar Pradesh from Sonipat in Haryana, after being hit by a bus on 28 March;[55] death of 62-year-old man Gangaram Yelenge in Surat, Gujarat after walking from a hospital to his house after finding no vehicle due to the lockdown on 28 March;[56] death of four migrant workers after being hit by a tempo on Palghar on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway while returning home after lockdown on 28 March;[57] death of Ranveer Singh after walking almost 200 kilometers from Delhi while trying to reach his home in Morena, Madhya Pradesh on 28 March;[58] death of four persons after being run over by a vehicle on Kundli–Manesar–Palwal (KMP) Expressway in Nuh, Haryana while returning home amid coronavirus on 29 March;[59] 70 year old woman named Pathunji of Karnataka after denial of permission to the ambulance to enter Karnataka on 29 March;[60] and death of Aldrin Lyngdoh, hailing from Shillong in Meghalaya, who committed suicide in Agra on 31 March blaming the lockdown and his landlady.[61]

The detailed of the cases of deaths are given below:

Case 1: Four people, including a one-year-old baby, died in a forest fire at Rasingapuram, Tamil Nadu

Four people, including a one-year-old baby, died in a forest fire at Rasingapuram in Theni district of Tamil Nadu on 24 March night while taking the forest route instead of the main road which had been blocked off because of the lockdown. They were part of a group of 10 people – six women, three men and a child – who were walking through a dry canal when a forest fire engulfed them.[62]

Case 2: Death of Lal Swami in police beating during lockdown enforcement

Lal Swami (32 years) died after he was allegedly beaten by the police while out to buy milk during the nationwide coronavirus lockdown in Banipur locality in Howrah district, West Bengal.[63]

Case 3: Death of eight year old boy, Rakesh Musaha in starvation because of lockdown

An eight year old boy identified as Rakesh Musaha, a resident of Arrah’s Jawahar Tola’s slum area in Bhojpur district of Bihar, allegedly starved to death due to lack of work, and subsequently food, during the current lockdown. The boy reportedly died in the afternoon of 26 March 2020. The deceased boy hailed from the Mahadalit Musahar community, and worked as a rag picker and sold junk in the market while his father Durga Prasad Musahar was a porter. After the lockdown was imposed, the father-son duo could not find any work as a result of which there was no ration at home. His family waited for several hours for local administrative officials to come and make arrangements. However, nobody arrived. The mother of the deceased boy Sonamati Devi stated that ever since the curfew was imposed there was no food to cook at home. She alleged that with the imposition of the curfew, there was no work. Reportedly, Rakesh had a fever and diarrhoea as well. On 26 March, he was taken to the Sadar hospital where the doctor prescribed a syrup and a tablet for him.  The deceased’s aunt also corroborated the event and said that Rakesh had become very weak as a result of starvation. Local ward Councillor Satyadev Ram alleged that the DM and local SDO were informed of the child’s death but no response has been received from them. He further alleged that when the police finally arrived, they asked the family to cremate the body quickly.[64]

Case 4: Eight migrant workers returning home after lockdown killed in an accident in Karnataka

Further, eight migrant workers killed in road accident while returning home in Karnataka on the night of 27 March 2020 including an 18-month-old boy. They were part of a group of migrant labourers returning home in Karnataka, died in a road accident on the outskirts of Hyderabad. About 31 migrant laborers employed by a construction firm in Suryapet district of Telangana were traveling in a Bolero Max open truck when the vehicle was hit by a truck. Three men, a boy and a nine-year-old girl died on the spot whereas four women and two men sustained severe injuries.[65]

Case 5: A migrant worker, Nitin Kumar, returning home by walking died after being hit by a bus in Uttar Pradesh

On 28 March 2020, a 26-year-old migrant worker Nitin Kumar, who was walking to his native place at Rampur in Uttar Pradesh from Sonipat in Haryana, died after a bus hit him in Pakwarha area of Moradabad. The deceased worked at a shoe factory in Sonipat and was fleeing back to his village after the unit was shut following the lockdown. Nitin was accompanied by his younger brother as they could not afford to stay in Haryana without work and food.[66]

Case 6: 62-year-old Gangaram Yelenge died in Surat, Gujarat died after walking back home as no vehicle was found due to lockdown

On 28 March 2020, another 62-year-old man identified as Gangaram Yelenge died in Surat after walking from a hospital to his house for around 8 kilometres as he could not find any vehicle due to the lockdown. The deceased was returning from New Civil Hospital at Majuragate along with his son Naresh Yelenge (40) when he fell unconscious on the road near his house in Pandesara. He was taken back to the hospital where he was declared brought dead.[67]

Case 7: Four migrant workers walking back home after lockdown killed after being hit by a tempo on Palghar on Mumbai-Ahmedabad

Further, four migrant workers were killed in an accident on 28 March 2020 after they were hit by a tempo on Palghar on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway. The migrants were walking back to their villages in Rajasthan, about 600 km away, after the nationwide lockdown. Three others were seriously injured in the incident.[68] It was reported that they were turned back by police from Bhillad on the Maharashtra-Gujarat border and were returning to Virar when the accident took place. The deceased were identified as Ramesh Bhatt (55), Nikhil Pandey (32), Naresh Kalusuva (18) and Lauram Bhagora (18).[69]

Case 8: Migrant worker Ranveer Singh died after walking almost 200 kilometers to reach home in Madhya Pradesh

On 28 March 2020, Ranveer Singh (39 years) who had walked almost 200 kilometers from Delhi while trying to reach his home in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, collapsed and died on the Delhi-Agra highway. It was reported that Singh had decided to walk home after the central government imposed the sudden national lockdown. He worked as a home delivery boy for a private restaurant in the national capital. The police said the victim had collapsed on the road, after which a local hardware store owner Sanjay Gupta tried to help him but his condition deteriorated and died. He is survived by three children, including two daughters. He belonged to a family of farmers and was the sole bread earner for his family.[70]

Case 9: Four migrant workers returning home run over by a vehicle in Haryana

On 29 March 2020, four persons died and four others were injured after being run over by a vehicle on Kundli–Manesar–Palwal (KMP) Expressway in Nuh, Haryana. The victims were walking on the expressway heading towards their home villages/towns amid coronavirus lockdown when the vehicle hit them.[71]

Case 10: 70-year-old woman from Karnataka because of medical complications after ambulance denied entry

On 29 March 2020, Pathunji, a 70-year-old woman from Karnataka, who was staying at Udyavar village in Manjeshwar Block near Kerala-Karnataka border, died as she was unable to go back due to lock down. The deceased developed health complications and was taken in an ambulance to Mangaluru. According to the ambulance driver, Aslam Kunjathur, the woman was taken in his ambulance around 5:45 pm, but the Karnataka police at the border in Thalapady denied entry. She was brought back to her home where she died in the early morning of 29 March. The driver alleged that he tried to explain to the police that the deceased was a Karnataka native who got held up in Kerala due to the lockdown but they police did not relent.[72]

Case 11: A youth from Meghalaya, Aldrin Lyngdoh, committed suicide in Agra citing lockdown

On 31 March 2020, Aldrin Lyngdoh, hailing from Shillong in Meghalaya committed suicide in Agra due to the nationwide lockdown following the outbreak of coronavirus. In his suicide note, Lyngdoh wrote, “Modi has closed all the ways for me. I have nowhere to go. Where will I go? The owner doesn’t feel pity for me. Seema Chaudhury, she told me to go wherever I wanted to. Where will I go? Please help me. I don’t know where to go. I see only one way. I see suicide. That’s all. I just want a help from you. If you have humanity, please take my dead body to my town so that I can relax. Please in the name of God. Please. Because today I will be no more, help me out please. I am not joking. Please help me out.”[73]

ENDNOTES

[1]. Lathi means a cane.

[2]. As per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare while 35 persons died of COVID-19 as on 31 March 2020 while 13 persons had died of COVID-19 as on 25 March 2020 when the lockdown started. For “Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths as of March 25”, please see https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-india-update-state-wise-total-number-of-confirmed-cases-deaths-as-of-march-25-812987.html

[3]. Covid-19 lockdown: Stop beating people, Kerala judge tells police, The Times of India, 26 March 2020, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/covid-19-lockdown-stop-beating-people-kerala-judge-tells-police/articleshow/74833195.cms

[4]. Covid-19 lockdown: Kerala HC seeks Centre’s reply on police excesses, says ‘laws can’t stay silent’, Scroll, 30 March 2020, https://scroll.in/latest/957728/covid-19-lockdown-kerala-hc-seeks-centres-reply-on-police-excesses-says-laws-cant-stay-silent

[5]. Covid-19 lockdown: Man out to buy milk in West Bengal beaten up by police, dies, claims family, The Scroll. 26 March 2020, https://scroll.in/latest/957298/covid-19-lockdown-man-out-to-buy-milk-in-west-bengal-beaten-up-by-police-dies-claims-family

[6]. Woman cop canes health worker and her dad in Maharashtra, The Times of India, 27 March 2020, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/aurangabad/woman-cop-canes-health-worker-and-her-dad-in-maharashtra/articleshowprint/74840071.cms

[7]. Cops do it again: Fireman on way to job ‘beaten up’ by ASI, The Tribune, 27 March 2020, https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/cops-do-it-again-fireman-on-way-to-job-beaten-up-by-asi-61731

[8]. TV journalist beaten up by cops during reporting on lockdown, The Daily Pioneer, 26 March 2020, https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/india/tv-journalist-beaten-up-by-cops-during-reporting-on-lockdown.html

[9].  Dialysis patient beaten by cops in Kerala during lockdown, writes to CM, The News Minute, 27 March 2020,  https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/surviving-social-distancing-how-you-can-stay-safe-and-yet-stay-connected-121047

[10]. Delhi Police Constable Suspended for Damaging Vegetable Carts During Coronavirus Lockdown, News18, 26  March 2020, https://www.news18.com/news/india/delhi-police-constable-suspended-for-damaging-vegetable-carts-during-coronavirus-lockdown-2552035.html

[11]. Roughed up by police, say delivery executives, sanitation workers, The Times of India, 26 March 2020, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/roughed-up-by-police-say-delivery-executives-sanitation-workers/articleshow/74819755.cms

[12].  Police Brutality: Citizens, Delivery Agents Harassed Amid Lockdown, The Quint, 26 March 2020, https://www.thequint.com/news/india/police-harassing-citizens-delivery-agents-amid-covid-19-lockdown

[13]. Chennai cops harass, beat up residents stepping out to buy groceries amid COVID-19 lockdown, The New Indian Express, 26 March 2020, https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2020/mar/26/chennai-cops-harass-beat-up-residents-stepping-out-to-buy-groceries-amid-covid-19-lockdown-2121908.html

[14]. https://www.livehindustan.com/uttar-pradesh/story-up-police-shows-brutality-with-people-going-home-amid-lockdown-3109279.html

[15]. “Ashamed”: UP Officer On Cops ‘Punishing’ Men On Roads During Lockdown, NDTV, 26 March 2020, https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/coronavirus-lockdown-india-am-ashamed-says-budaun-police-chief-after-up-cops-caught-on-video-forcing-2201177

[16]. Cops beat up people out to buy, sell food, The Telegraph, 25 March 2020, https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/cops-beat-up-people-out-to-buy-sell-food-amid-coronavirus-lockdown/cid/1758903

[17]. Jammu and Kashmir police use batons and FIRs to enforce COVID-19 lockdown, hospitals struggle, The Caravan, 30 March 2020, https://caravanmagazine.in/health/jammu-and-kashmir-police-use-batons-and-firs-to-enforce-covid-19-lockdown-hospitals-struggle

[18]. High-handedness alleged against police in Coimbatore, The Hindu, 26 March 2020, https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/high-handedness-alleged-against-police-in-coimbatore/article31176154.ece

[19]. Cops do it again: Fireman on way to job ‘beaten up’ by ASI, The Tribune, 27 March 2020, https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/cops-do-it-again-fireman-on-way-to-job-beaten-up-by-asi-61731

[20]. Cops beat up Eben Telecom employee, The New Indian Express, 27 March 2020, https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2020/mar/27/cops-beat-up-eben-telecom-employee-2122020.html

[21]. Tenkasi’s biggest vegetable market shut down citing police violence, The New Indian Express, 27 March 2020, https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2020/mar/27/tenkasis-biggest-vegetable-market-shut-down-citing-police-violence-2122066.html

[22]. India in lockdown: NGO workers face police brutality while helping poor in Hyderabad, The New Indian Express, 27 March 2020, https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2020/mar/27/india-in-lockdown-ngo-workers-face-police-brutality-while-helping-poor-in-hyderabad-2122126.html

[23]. Coronavirus: Police officer suspended in Manipur’s Thoubal, India Blooms, 27 March 2020, https://indiablooms.com/news-details/N/60500/coronavirus-police-officer-suspended-in-manipur-rsquo-s-thoubal.html

[24].   ‘7 Second Me Tapka Dunga’: Ujjain SHO’s Warning Over Outdoor Gatherings Gets Him Suspended, News18, 27 March 2020, https://www.news18.com/news/india/7-second-me-tapka-dunga-ujjain-shos-whatsapp-warning-to-people-for-gathering-outdoors-gets-him-suspended-for-coronavirus-covid-19-2553245.html

[25]. Lockdown brutality continues: Policeman assaults Adivasi women in Assam, Newslaundry, 31 March 2020, https://www.newslaundry.com/2020/03/31/lockdown-brutality-continues-policeman-assaults-adivasi-women-in-assam

[26]. Jammu and Kashmir police use batons and FIRs to enforce COVID-19 lockdown, hospitals struggle, The Caravan, 30 March 2020, https://caravanmagazine.in/health/jammu-and-kashmir-police-use-batons-and-firs-to-enforce-covid-19-lockdown-hospitals-struggle

[27]. Jammu and Kashmir police use batons and FIRs to enforce COVID-19 lockdown, hospitals struggle, The Caravan, 30 March 2020, https://caravanmagazine.in/health/jammu-and-kashmir-police-use-batons-and-firs-to-enforce-covid-19-lockdown-hospitals-struggle

[28]. AP cop suspended after video shows excess force against man in home quarantine, The News Minute, 27 March 2020, https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/ap-cop-suspended-after-video-shows-excess-force-against-suspected-covid-19-patient-121257

[29]. Tamil Nadu doctor beaten up by policeman for going to work on coronavirus lockdown, India Glitz, 26 March 2020, https://www.indiaglitz.com/tamil-nadu-doctor-beaten-up-by-policeman-for-going-to-work-on-coronavirus-lockdown-tamil-news-256521

[30]. India lockdown: Three Bihar cops held for shooting at van driver, seeking bribe, Indian Express, 27 March 2020, https://indianexpress.com/article/coronavirus/three-bihar-cops-held-for-shooting-at-van-driver-seeking-bribe-6333679/

[31]. Healthcare professionals too face police excesses, The Times of India, 27 March 2020, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kozhikode/healthcare-professionals-too-face-police-excesses/articleshowprint/74835289.cms

[32]. Man In Kerala Allegedly Beaten By Cop While Returning From Dropping Doctor Wife To Work, https://www.indiatimes.com/trending/social-relevance/man-in-kerala-allegedly-beaten-by-cop-while-returning-from-dropping-doctor-wife-to-work-509439.html

[33].  Punjab cops’ brutality, shaming Facebook videos raise hackles, The Times of India, 27 March 2020, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/jalandhar-cops-brutality-shaming-facebook-videos-raise-hackles/articleshowprint/74838733.cms

[34]. Police high-handedness to the fore in many areas, The Times of India, 27 March 2020, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vijayawada/police-high-handedness-to-the-fore-in-many-areas/articleshowprint/74836360.cms

[35]. Police harassing us despite exemption: AIR, The Times of India, 31 March 2020, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/visakhapatnam/police-harassing-us-despite-exemption-air/articleshowprint/74900963.cms

[36]. Police high-handedness to the fore in many areas, The Times of India, 27 March 2020, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vijayawada/police-high-handedness-to-the-fore-in-many-areas/articleshowprint/74836360.cms

[37]. Kadapa SI suspended for thrashing youngsters during lockdown, News Meter, 27 March 2020,  https://newsmeter.in/kadapa-si-suspended-for-thrashing-youngsters-during-lockdown/

[38]. IRBn constables suspended over brutal action, Arunachal Times, 28 March 2020, https://arunachaltimes.in/index.php/2020/03/28/irbn-constables-suspended-over-brutal-action/

[39]. Police Brutally Beats Man Who Stepped Out To Attend Mother’s Funeral Amid Lockdown, https://news.abplive.com/news/india/gujarat-police-officers-brutally-beat-man-for-going-out-to-attend-mothers-funeral-amid-lockdown-1183767

[40].  SCCL workers go on flash strike after police thrash worker in Bhupalpally, The Telangana Today, 30 March 2020, https://telanganatoday.com/sccl-workers-go-on-flash-strike-after-police-thrash-worker-in-bhupalpally

[41]. Woman in Nadia district assaulted by BSF: CPI(ML), The Hindu, 30 March 2020, https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/woman-in-nadia-district-assaulted-by-bsf-cpiml/article31201057.ece

[42]. Gujarat: Probe ordered into ‘police brutality’ on Dalits during lockdown, Indian Express, 30 March 2020, https://indianexpress.com/article/india/gujarat-police-brutality-on-dalits-during-lockdown-6339140/

[43]. ‘I violated lockdown orders’: MP cop writes on migrant’s forehead, Indian Express, 29 March 2020, https://indianexpress.com/article/coronavirus/i-violated-lockdown-orders-stay-away-from-me-mp-police-writes-on-migrants-forehead-6337019/

[44]. Two migrant workers assaulted by public in Ziro, Arunachal Times, 29 March 2020, https://arunachaltimes.in/index.php/2020/03/30/more-videos-of-police-beatings-emerge/

[45]. Ibid

[46]. Caught on camera in Goa: CRPF officers hit people on the road with sticks, make them hop like frogs, Scroll, 30 March 2020, https://scroll.in/video/957608/caught-on-camera-in-goa-crpf-officers-hit-people-on-the-road-with-sticks-make-them-hop-like-frogs

[47]. COVID-19 Lockdown: 2 Police Personnel Suspended For Thrashing Public In Odisha, The Kalinga TV, 30 March 2020, https://kalingatv.com/state/covid-19-lockdown-2-police-personnel-suspended-for-thrashing-public-in-odisha/

[48]. Gujarat: 96 migrant workers held in Surat after violent clash with police, Deccan Herald, 30 March 2020,  https://www.deccanherald.com/national/gujarat-96-migrant-workers-held-in-surat-after-violent-clash-with-police-819202.html

[49]. “Frightening Picture”: Prashant Kishor Tweets Video Of Workers Locked Up, NDTV, 30 March 2020, https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/prashant-kishor-targets-nitish-kumar-on-heart-wrenching-migrants-video-2202844

[50]. Bleach Sprayed On Migrants In UP Over COVID-19, Kerala Uses Soap Water, NDTV, 30 March 2020, https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/coronavirus-india-lockdown-disinfectant-sprayed-on-migrants-on-return-to-up-shows-shocking-video-2202916;

[51].  Death toll rises to 4 in Theni forest fire tragedy , The Hindu, 25 March 2020, https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/death-toll-rises-to-4-in-theni-forest-fire-tragedy/article31160605.ece

[52]. Covid-19 lockdown: Man out to buy milk in West Bengal beaten up by police, dies, claims family, The Scroll. 26 March 2020, https://scroll.in/latest/957298/covid-19-lockdown-man-out-to-buy-milk-in-west-bengal-beaten-up-by-police-dies-claims-family

[53]. COVID-19 Lockdown: 8 Year Old Dies of Hunger as Family Struggles to Make Ends Meet, The Wire, 30 March 2020, https://thewire.in/rights/bihar-starvation-deaths-lockdown

[54]. Hyderabad: Eight migrants returning home killed in road accident, Indian Express, 28 March 2020, https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/hyderabad/india-lockdown-hyderabad-migrant-labourers-accident-6335807/

[55]. Coronavirus: Walking home from Sonipat after factory shut down, UP man run over by bus, Indian Express, 30 March 2002, https://indianexpress.com/article/india/coronavirus-india-lockdown-walking-home-from-sonipat-after-factory-shut-down-up-man-run-over-by-bus-6337862/

[56]. India lockdown: 62-year-old dies after walking home from hospital in Surat, Indian Express, 28 March 2020, https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-coronavirus-lockdown-62-year-old-dies-after-walking-home-from-hospital-in-surat-6336202/

[57]. 4 Gujarat workers returning home after lockdown killed in accident, India Today, 28 March 2020, https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/4-gujarat-workers-returning-home-after-lockdown-killed-in-accident-1660697-2020-03-28

[58]. Delhi Restaurant Employee Walks 200km to Reach Home in MP Amid Lockdown, Dies on Highway, News18, 29 March 2020, https://www.news18.com/news/india/delhi-restaurant-employee-travels-200-km-on-foot-to-reach-home-in-mp-amid-lockdown-dies-on-highway-2555547.html

[59]. 4 dead in Haryana’s Nuh after being run over by vehicle on KMP expressway, India TV, 29 March 2020, https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/nuh-haryana-kmp-expressway-road-accident-vehicle-run-over-602452

[60]. 70-yr-old dies as K’taka police denies entry to ambulance, The Times of India, 30 March 2020, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kozhikode/70-yr-old-dies-as-ktaka-police-denies-entry-to-ambulance/articleshowprint/74878358.cms

[61]. Coronavirus: Shillong Youth Commits Suicide after being Stranded in Agra amid Lockdown,

Inside NE, 31 March 2020  https://insidene.com/2020/03/31/coronavirus-shillong-youth-commits-suicide-after-being-stranded-in-agra-amid-lockdown/

[62].  Death toll rises to 4 in Theni forest fire tragedy , The Hindu, 25 March 2020, https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/death-toll-rises-to-4-in-theni-forest-fire-tragedy/article31160605.ece

[63]. Covid-19 lockdown: Man out to buy milk in West Bengal beaten up by police, dies, claims family, The Scroll. 26 March 2020, https://scroll.in/latest/957298/covid-19-lockdown-man-out-to-buy-milk-in-west-bengal-beaten-up-by-police-dies-claims-family

[64]. COVID-19 Lockdown: 8 Year Old Dies of Hunger as Family Struggles to Make Ends Meet, The Wire, 30 March 2020, https://thewire.in/rights/bihar-starvation-deaths-lockdown

[65]. Hyderabad: Eight migrants returning home killed in road accident, Indian Express, 28 March 2020, https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/hyderabad/india-lockdown-hyderabad-migrant-labourers-accident-6335807/

[66]. Coronavirus: Walking home from Sonipat after factory shut down, UP man run over by bus, Indian Express, 30 March 2002, https://indianexpress.com/article/india/coronavirus-india-lockdown-walking-home-from-sonipat-after-factory-shut-down-up-man-run-over-by-bus-6337862/

[67]. India lockdown: 62-year-old dies after walking home from hospital in Surat, Indian Express, 28 March 2020, https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-coronavirus-lockdown-62-year-old-dies-after-walking-home-from-hospital-in-surat-6336202/

[68]. 4 Gujarat workers returning home after lockdown killed in accident, India Today, 28 March 2020, https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/4-gujarat-workers-returning-home-after-lockdown-killed-in-accident-1660697-2020-03-28

[69]. 22 Migrant Workers, Kin Have Died Trying to Return Home Since the Lockdown Started, The Wire, 30 March 2020, https://thewire.in/rights/coronavirus-national-lockdown-migrant-workers-dead

[70]. Delhi Restaurant Employee Walks 200km to Reach Home in MP Amid Lockdown, Dies on Highway, News18, 29 March 2020, https://www.news18.com/news/india/delhi-restaurant-employee-travels-200-km-on-foot-to-reach-home-in-mp-amid-lockdown-dies-on-highway-2555547.html

[71]. 4 dead in Haryana’s Nuh after being run over by vehicle on KMP expressway, India TV, 29 March 2020, https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/nuh-haryana-kmp-expressway-road-accident-vehicle-run-over-602452

[72]. 70-yr-old dies as K’taka police denies entry to ambulance, The Times of India, 30 March 2020, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kozhikode/70-yr-old-dies-as-ktaka-police-denies-entry-to-ambulance/articleshowprint/74878358.cms

[73]. Coronavirus: Shillong Youth Commits Suicide after being Stranded in Agra amid Lockdown,

Inside NE, 31 March 2020  https://insidene.com/2020/03/31/coronavirus-shillong-youth-commits-suicide-after-being-stranded-in-agra-amid-lockdown/

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